ABSTRACT
A series of patients were suffered from transverse fracture patella. Three methods of treatment were applied. Group I. : Includes 11 cases and treated by tension band wiring. Group II. : Comprises 10 cases and treated by modified tension band technique. Group III. : 10 cases were managed by longitudinal anterior band. The average age was 39 years old. The male to female ratio was 3 : 1. Closed fractures were in 28 cases and open fractures in 3 patients. All cases were followed with an average 12 months. The details of the results and complications in the text. The longitudinal anterior band method obtained better results than the original tension band wiring and the modified tension band technique. The patella is a sesamoid bone, which acts as an intermediate link of cartilage cells making friction of cartilage to cartilage instead of cartilage to tendon[1,2]. From full extension to 90 the patellar facets of the femur articulate with the medial and lateral facets of the patella. Beyound 90 the patella rotates around a vertical axis and shift laterally, in this position the medial femoral condyle articulate with the odd facet[3]. The patella acts as a pulley which displaces the quadriceps tendon anteriorly in extension and this improves the function of the extensor apparatus[4, 5, 6]. It also of cosmetic value especially in females. The aim of this work is the treatment of transverse fracture patella by: 1. The tension band wiring. 2. The internal fixation with two Kirschner wires in addition to tension band wiring. 3. Longitudinal anterior band with or without circulage. A clinico-radiologic studies of the results of these three methods, hoping at finding the proper indication of every method and the advantages of each one