Arthroscopic quadriceps tendon repair: two case reports

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Musculoskeletal Research

Background:

• Open repair is established for quadriceps femoris tendon injuries.
• Primary arthroscopic repair of quadriceps tendon injuries lacks extensive reporting.
• Quadriceps tendon injuries often occur during activities involving sudden weight shifts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present two cases of primary arthroscopic repair for quadriceps tendon injuries.
• To evaluate the efficacy and outcomes of arthroscopic repair for quadriceps tendon ruptures.
• To highlight arthroscopic repair as a potential surgical option for quadriceps tendon injuries.

Main Methods:

• Arthroscopic repair utilizing suture anchors and pull-out fixation through bone tunnels.
• Repair of a complete quadriceps tendon rupture at the patellar insertion.
• Repair of an incomplete superficial quadriceps tendon rupture using six-strand sutures.

Main Results:

• Case 1 (complete rupture): Full recovery with JOA and Lysholm scores of 100 at 2 years post-surgery; no retearing on MRI.
• Case 2 (incomplete rupture): Healed tendon on MRI with JOA score of 95 and Lysholm score of 100 at 1 year post-surgery.
• Both cases demonstrated excellent functional recovery and tendon healing after arthroscopic intervention.

Conclusions:

• Arthroscopic repair is a viable and effective surgical method for quadriceps tendon injuries.
• Minimally invasive arthroscopic techniques can achieve excellent functional outcomes for quadriceps tendon ruptures.
• Further studies are warranted to establish arthroscopic repair as a standard treatment for quadriceps tendon injuries.