Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
Athymic Rat Model for Evaluation of Engineered Anterior Cruciate Ligament Grafts
Published on: March 26, 2015
Patellar tendon ossification after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using bone--patellar tendon--bone
Gianluca Camillieri1, Vincenzo Di Sanzo, Matteo Ferretti
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of L’Aquila, Rome, Italy.
Background:
Among the various complications described in literature, the patellar tendon ossification is an uncommon occurrence in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using bone - patellar tendon - bone graft (BPTB). The heterotopic ossification is linked to knee traumatism, intramedullary nailing of the tibia and after partial patellectomy, but only two cases of this event linked to ACL surgery have been reported in literature.
Case Presentation:
We present a case of a 42-year-old Caucasian man affected by symptomatic extended heterotopic ossification of patellar tendon after 20 months from ACL reconstruction using BPTB. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by Ultrasound, X-Ray and Computed Tomography studies, blood tests were performed to exclude metabolic diseases then the surgical removal of the lesion was performed. After three years from surgery, the patient did not report femoro-patellar pain, there was not range of motion limitation and the clinical-radiological examinations resulted negative.
Conclusion:
The surgical removal of the ossifications followed by anti-inflammatory therapy, seems to be useful in order to relieve pain and to prevent relapses. Moreover, a thorough cleaning of the patellar tendon may reveal useful, in order to prevent bone fragments remain inside it and to reduce patellar tendon heterotopic ossification risk.
