ICD-10 S82.0 eMedicine 825572 | AO 34-A1 - 34-C3 | |
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A patella fracture is a fracture of the kneecap, which is one of the most common knee injuries. It is usually the result of a hard blow to the front of the knee. Treatment options for patella fracture include nonsurgical and surgical options, depending on the type of fracture.
An undisplaced fracture of patella takes around 4–6 weeks of immobilization in a cylinder cast to heal, while a displaced fracture requires surgical treatment followed by quadriceps strengthening exercises for complete rehabilitation.
Surgical treatments
Patellectomy (in cases of comminuted fracture) is removal of the entire patella, whereas a partial patellectomy is removal of only a portion of the patella, while any ligaments or tendons that had been connected to the removed portion are connected to the remaining portion. The fracture may require tension band wiring (in case of two part fracture) to unite the fractured bones. Nowadays with advancement of fixation technique comminuted fracture of the patella are being reconstructed (patella saving operations).