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Updated: May 28, 2026

Creating Rigidly Stabilized Fractures for Assessing Intramembranous Ossification, Distraction Osteogenesis, or Healing of Critical Sized Defects
Published on: April 11, 2012
Spontaneous patella fracture presenting as osteomyelitis in focal dermal hypoplasia
Eric L Altschuler1, Richard S Yoon, Richard Dentico
1Clinical Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation UMDNJ - New Jersey Medical School Newark, NJ 07103, USA. altschel@umdnj.edu
Abstract:
We report the first case of the assessment and treatment of a spontaneous patellar fracture in a patient with Goltz syndrome-a rare dermal hypoplasia. This case illustrates the non-straightforward presentation of a spontaneous patellar fracture in seemingly osteoporotic bone stock further complicated by the inability to rule out osteomyelitis. In this confusing presentation, a high index of suspicion for patella fracture should be maintained for patients with knee pain and osteoporosis on x-ray with a dysplastic syndrome.
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