Management of severely comminuted fracture patella: a case report

Abstract

Fracture patella is a breach in the extensor mechanism of the knee and needs to be fixed. Comminuted fractures of patella are a challenge given the difficulty in restoring the extensor mechanism. Introduction: Treatment options have evolved over the years from sacrifice to salvage i.e., from total or partial patellectomy to patellar preserving surgery. The challenge remains to fix the fragments optimally and also to have a tailor-made physiotherapy and rehabilitation program for the patient to provide a satisfactory functional outcome. A 14-year-old female presented to the casualty with a history of domestic fall, injuring her right knee. X-ray was done which revealed a comminuted fracture of right patella, classified as 34C3 OA/OTA classification. Salvage procedure for severely comminuted patella fracture has a successful functional outcome following a stable fixation of fragment.