Quadriceps tendon injuries.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Traumatology
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Complete quadriceps tendon ruptures are significant injuries requiring surgical intervention.
• Analysis of risk factors, injury mechanisms, and clinical presentation is crucial for understanding these ruptures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the risk factors, mechanisms of injury, symptoms, and treatment timing for complete quadriceps tendon ruptures.
• To identify specific patient populations at higher risk.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective multicenter study involving 30 patients who underwent surgery for quadriceps tendon rupture.
• Data collected included patient demographics, comorbidities, injury details, and surgical timing.

Main Results:

• The majority of patients (93.3%) were male, with an average age of 53.7 years.
• Eighty percent of ruptures were associated with risk factors like degenerative changes, diabetes, renal dialysis, obesity, and prior knee surgery.
• Injuries commonly resulted from low-energy trauma (e.g., falls, squatting), with common symptoms including pain, swelling, and loss of knee extension. Three cases were initially misdiagnosed.

Conclusions:

• Quadriceps tendon ruptures typically occur in males in their fifth and sixth decades, often linked to predisposing conditions and minor trauma.
• Patients on renal dialysis are identified as a highly vulnerable group for these injuries.