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Reconstruction of Neglected Tears of the Extensor Apparatus of the Knee

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Sports Injuries

Abstract

The extensor apparatus of the knee consists of the quadriceps muscle and tendon, the patella, and patellar tendon. Patellar fractures are common injuries, and neglected patella fractures are exceptional, while quadriceps or patellar tendon tears may be misdiagnosed in emergency department. Patellar tendon and quadriceps tendon ruptures are serious injuries. The surgical management of chronic tears (greater than 6 weeks) may be highly demanding because of the retraction of the patella, the soft tissue retraction, and scar formation which create an irreducible gap. In these cases, primary repair is not possible. Many surgical techniques have been proposed for the treatment of neglected ruptures, but the optimal management is controversial. In this chapter two surgical techniques for reconstruction of the chronic ruptures of the quadriceps and patellar tendon are described.

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Correspondence to Nicola Maffulli .

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Maffulli, N., Giai Via, A., Oliva, F. (2014). Reconstruction of Neglected Tears of the Extensor Apparatus of the Knee. In: Doral, M., Karlsson, J. (eds) Sports Injuries. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36801-1_132-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36801-1_132-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-36801-1

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