Avulsion of the popliteus tendon
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Updated: Oct 23, 2026

The Transition to an Anterior-Based Muscle Sparing Approach Improves Early Postoperative Function but is Associated with a Learning Curve
Published on: September 7, 2022
1Department of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Abstract:
Isolated avulsion of the popliteus tendon occurred in a 13-year-old patient who stepped awkwardly from a bus. This report of injury is of special interest because the forces are easy to interpret and reflect the expected mechanism of injury to the popliteus muscle-tendon complex. Furthermore, the injury has many features that may be confused with patellar subluxation and dislocation.
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