Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020:24:19.098.
doi: 10.7812/TPP/19.098.

Bilateral Quadriceps Tendon Repair with Suture Anchors: Case Series

Jason E Tucker 2nd  1 , Christopher R Jones  2
Affiliations

Bilateral Quadriceps Tendon Repair with Suture Anchors: Case Series

Jason E Tucker 2nd et al. Perm J. 2020.

Abstract

Introduction: Bilateral and simultaneous quadriceps tendon rupture is rarely observed. This case series evaluates 3 patients with bilateral ruptures of the quadriceps tendon. The purpose of this case series is to display the effectiveness of the suture anchor surgical repair technique in these patients.

Case presentations: Three obese male patients experienced some type of traumatic injury to the knee extensor mechanism, resulting in bilateral quadriceps tendon ruptures. Each of the patients was evaluated and given operative and nonoperative treatment options, and they all elected to undergo surgical tendon repair. Two double-loaded anchors were placed into the superior pole of the patella, allowing the tendons to be reduced back to their original positioning. Postoperatively, all patients were given the same guidelines for physical therapy, and their progress was monitored periodically. Each patient returned to his normal level of physical activity. Range of motion at the knee and weight bearing were reestablished in all 3 patients.

Discussion: These quadriceps tendon ruptures occurred in patients with a predisposition to injury as a result of excessive weight bearing. When addressing bilateral quadriceps tendon ruptures in this patient population, we found that a suture anchor-based construct allows for a secure repair, early initiation of physical therapy, and a noted improvement in pain scores on the Visual Analog Scale.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure Statement

The author(s) have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Case 1. Magnetic resonance image showing bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture (A. left knee and B. right knee).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Case 2. Magnetic resonance image showing bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture (A. left knee and B. right knee).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Case 3. Magnetic resonance image showing bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture (A. left knee and B. right knee).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Double-loaded suture anchors in superior pole of patella.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Krackow suture configuration.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Comparison of age (years) and body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) of a study of 210 patients with quadriceps tendon rupture by Garner et al versus patients in this case report.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Tuong B, White J, Louis L, Cairns R, Andrews G, Forster BB. Get a kick out of this: The spectrum of knee extensor mechanism injuries. Br J Sports Med. 2011 Feb;45(2):140–6. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2010.076695. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Garner MR, Gausden E, Berkes MB, Nguyen JT, Lorich DG. Extensor mechanism injuries of the knee: Demographic characteristics and comorbidities from a review of 726 patient records. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2015 Oct 7;97(19):1592–6. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.O.00113. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Tendon pathophysiology. Physiopedia. Revised 2019 Feb 27 [originally cited 2018 Jul 27]. Available from: www.physio-pedia.com/index.php?title=Tendon_Pathophysiology&oldid=164409.
    1. Surmi BK, Hasty AH. Macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue: Initiation, propagation and remodeling. Future Lipidol. 2008;3(5):545–56. doi: 10.2217/17460875.3.5.545. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Abduljabbar FH, Aljurayyan A, Ghalimah B, Lincoln L. Bilateral simultaneous quadriceps tendon rupture in a 24-year-old obese patient: A case report and review of the literature. Case Rep Orthop. 2016;2016 doi: 10.1155/2016/4713137. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources