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Patellar tendon ruptures in weight lifters after local steroid injections

  • Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Weight lifting is commonly associated with an increase in knee injury risk. Local steroid injection is thought to be associated with increased risk of spontaneous tendon rupture. The purpose of this report is to describe incidence of rupture of the patellar tendon after receiving multiple local steroid injections in weight lifters.

Materials and methods

Seven weight lifters presented at the hospital with ruptured patellar tendon. All the patients had a history of multiple local steroid injections into the patellar tendon. Each patient received surgical treatment within 72 h after injury.

Results

After an average follow-up time of 26 months, the mean postoperative Lysholm knee score was 94 and the mean Insall-Salvati measurement was 0.96. All seven athletes returned to weight lifting training at 1 year after the operation. They returned to full competition at 18 months after the surgery.

Conclusion

For physicians who treat patellar tendonitis, especially in weight lifters, it is important to recognize the contributing factors for tendon rupture especially in those who have had multiple steroid injections. The functional prognosis of the knee improves if the normal length and strength of the injured tendon have been properly restored.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC

    Shen-Kai Chen & Pei-His Chou

  2. Faculty of Sports Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Tzyou 1st Road, San-Min District, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan, ROC

    Shen-Kai Chen, Pei-His Chou, Lan-Yuen Guo & Wen-Lan Wu

  3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC

    Cheng-Chang Lu

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  1. Shen-Kai Chen
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  2. Cheng-Chang Lu
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  3. Pei-His Chou
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  4. Lan-Yuen Guo
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Correspondence to Wen-Lan Wu.

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Chen, SK., Lu, CC., Chou, PH. et al. Patellar tendon ruptures in weight lifters after local steroid injections. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 129, 369–372 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-008-0655-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-008-0655-1

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