Neglected Rupture of the Patellar Tendon After Fixation of Tibial Tubercle Avulsion in an Adolescent Male Managed With Ipsilateral Semitendinosus Autograft Reconstruction.

The combination of a tibial tubercle fracture with patellar tendon avulsion in adolescents is an extremely rare injury that needs to be managed properly. Herein, we report the case of a 15-year-old boy who presented to our department two months after sustaining a tibial tubercle fracture that had been managed with mini-open reduction and internal fixation in another hospital; he had restricted range of motion and complete inability to extend his knee. Clinical and radiological investigations revealed a neglected avulsion of the patellar tendon with marked scarring and severe retraction. The patient underwent patellar tendon reconstruction using the ipsilateral semitendinosus tendon that passed through separate tunnels in the patella and proximal tibia. The postoperative course was uneventful, and one year later the patient had a satisfactory range of motion and a Lysholm score of 90. To our knowledge, a neglected patellar tendon avulsion after tibial tubercle fracture fixation has been reported only once in the literature. The reconstruction of the patellar tendon using an ipsilateral semitendinosus autograft is an excellent surgical technique, especially when severe tendon retraction has occurred.

Fracture of the Entire Posterior Talar Process in an Adolescent Boy: A Case Report.

CASE REPORT: Fractures of the talus in adolescents are uncommon and usually involve the talar body or neck. We report a rare fracture of the entire posterior talar process in a 14-year-old boy who fell during skateboarding. He was managed with open reduction and fixation with a headless screw. He gradually regained sports activities after 4 months and had no further complaints at his last follow-up evaluation, 18 months postoperatively. CONCLUSION: In posterior talar process fractures, operative treatment can provide a good functional outcome. Patients must be followed with serial radiographs because of the high incidence of nonunion and avascular necrosis.

Intramedullary nailing of humeral diaphyseal fractures. Is distal locking really necessary?

PURPOSE: Distal interlocking is regarded as an inherent part of the antegrade humeral nailing technique, but it exposes both the patient and surgeon to radiation, is time consuming, and has a potential risk of damaging neurovascular structures. We have presented our technique of diaphyseal humeral nailing without any distal interlocking in this paper. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have presented a series of 64 consecutive patients (33 male and 31 female, mean age: 41.5 years) with humeral shaft fractures treated with antegrade rigid intramedullary nailing without distal interlocking following a strict intra and postoperative protocol. According to the AO classification, there were 36 type A fractures, 22 type B, and 6 type C. Nails were inserted unreamed or by using limited proximal reaming and they were fitted as snuggly as possible into the medullary canal. After impaction of the nail into the fossa, we carefully tested rotational stability of fixation by checking any potential external rotation when the arm was slightly turned externally and left to the gravity forces. We were ready to add distal screws, but that was not required in these cases. Follow-up assessment included fracture union, complications and failures, and the final clinical outcome at minimum 2-year follow-up using the parameters of the constant score. RESULTS: All fractures, except two, united between the 4(th) and 5(th) postoperative month. In one case, nail was exchanged with plate, and, in another, a larger nail was used at a second surgery. Shoulder function according to constant score, at a minimum of 2-year follow-up, was excellent or very good in 93.7% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Provided that some technical issues are followed, the method reduces intraoperative time and radiation exposure and avoids potential damage to neurovascular structures.