Operative Treatment of Patellar Fractures

PURPOSE: To establish a general guide line in the treatment of the patellar fracture MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty three patellar fractures followed for 2.2 years in average, treated with internal fixation were evaluated retrospectively. The primary fixations were the metal screw fixation in 7, the Dall-Miles' cable circumferential fixation in 14 and combination of both methods in 2 cases. The additional fixations were the tension band wiring in 9, the load sharing cable fixation in 3 and combination of both methods in 5 cases. The initial postoperative immobilazation of the knee joint in flexion, preferably 90degrees, for 7 days was effective to gain full range of motion RESULTS: Complete union without displacement was achieved in all cases. Full ROM was achieved in all cases except one. CONCLUSION: The choice of internal fixation need to be individualized according to the level of comminution, bone strength, fracture site and soft tissue damage. A strong internal fixation, initial immobilization in flexion followed by early ROM exercise were important factors to gain good result.