Bilateral Extensor Mechanism Allograft Reconstruction for Chronic Spontaneous Rupture: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

JBJS Case Connect. 2019 Apr-Jun;9(2):e0058. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.CC.18.00058.

Abstract

Case: A 51-year-old woman, affected by end-stage renal disease, presented with 16-month-old ruptures of the right patellar tendon and the left quadriceps tendon. Since she had been nonambulatory for more than a year, the authors decided to perform a bilateral one-staged reconstruction with an Achilles tendon allograft on the right side and a full extensor mechanism allograft on the left side, achieving excellent clinical and functional results at 57 months' follow-up.

Conclusions: Bilateral spontaneous rupture of the extensor mechanism of the knee is a rare but dramatic occurrence. Allograft can be considered as a treatment option in case of chronic lesion or delayed reconstruction, with satisfactory midterm outcomes.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Achilles Tendon / transplantation*
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Allografts / transplantation*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patellar Ligament / diagnostic imaging
  • Patellar Ligament / pathology*
  • Plastic Surgery Procedures / methods
  • Quadriceps Muscle / pathology
  • Range of Motion, Articular / physiology
  • Rupture, Spontaneous / surgery*
  • Treatment Outcome