Lower pole of patella fractures treated with non-absorbable trans-osseous sutures: an effective surgical method to avoid implant related complications

Abstract

<p><strong>Background: </strong>The treatment option for inferior pole of patella fracture is still being debated. Although tension‑band wiring is the most widely used technique to treat patellar fractures, metal implant‑related complications such as implant failure, palpable hardware are very common and additional procedures are often necessary to treat the complications. The aim of the study was to evaluate the functional results in patients with inferior pole of patella fracture treated by trans-osseous non-absorbable suture fixation.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> Patients who underwent trans-osseous suture fixation by no. 5 Ethibond for post-traumatic distal pole patella fracture were included in the study. This was a prospective study conducted at a tertiary care Government Hospital in Kolkata, between December 2018 to May 2020. All patients were followed up at an interval of 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months and 9 months. Bostman score was used to assess the functional outcomes of the patients.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Outcome at final follow-up was assessed with Bostman scoring system. In a total of 11 patients, 8 (72.8%) patients showed excellent and 3 (27.2%) patients had good results during the final follow-up. None of the patients demonstrated unsatisfactory result. At the end of 9 months, the average Bostman score for 11 patients was 27.9.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The trans-osseous suturing with non-absorbable sutures is a safe and effective fixation technique for the treatment of distal pole patella fractures. It allows for rapid recovery with minimal implant‑related complications. It also reduces the re-surgery rates significantly.</p>