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. 2012:2012:390150.
doi: 10.1155/2012/390150. Epub 2012 Nov 20.

Fracture of the fabella: a rare injury in knee trauma

Andre Rodrigues Façanha Barreto  1 , Francisco Abaete Chagas-Neto, Michel Daoud Crema, Mario Muller Lorenzato, Mariana Tiemi Teixeira Kobayashi, Carlos Ribeiro Monteiro, Marcello Henrique Nogueira-Barbosa
Affiliations

Fracture of the fabella: a rare injury in knee trauma

Andre Rodrigues Façanha Barreto et al. Case Rep Radiol. 2012.

Abstract

We present a case of a 21-year-old woman sustaining a traumatic [fabellar] fracture following a motor vehicle accident. The fabellar fracture was confirmed on plain films, which prompted further evaluation of the knee with ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate other possible associated injuries. Fracture of the fabella is a rare condition. Clinically, patients present with posterolateral knee pain, edema, and limited knee extension. Occasionally these symptoms may be very subtle, delaying the correct diagnosis and patient management.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Lateral plain film of the left knee revealed a transverse radiolucent line with irregular borders across an ossified fabella (arrowheads) consistent with a complete fracture of the fabella.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A sagittal T2-weighted fat-suppressed MRI demonstrated diffuse bone marrow edema pattern of the fabella (white arrow) associated with fracture seen on radiographs.
Figure 3
Figure 3
T1-weighted fast spin-echo MRI showed bone contusions in the anterior femoral and tibial regions at the lateral tibiofemoral compartment, related to hyperextension and valgus mechanisms of injury.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Axial T2-weighted fat-suppressed MRI depicted a low signal line within the fabella consistent with fracture (white arrow).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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