Novel Treatment of a Failed Quadriceps Tendon Repair in a Diabetic Patient Using a Patella-Quadriceps Tendon Allograft

Abstract

Recurrent quadriceps tendon rupture is a debilitating condition that may be challenging to treat, especially in the presence of systemic disease such as diabetes mellitus (Bedi et al., J Shoulder Elbow Surg 19:978-988, 2010; Chbnou and Frenette, Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 5:R952-R957, 2004; Chen et al., J Shoulder Elbow Surg 5:416-421, 2003). Many surgical treatment protocols have been proposed (Azar, in Canale and Beatty, eds., Campbell's Operative Orthopedics, Mosby/Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA, 2008; Ilan et al., J Am Acad Orthop Surg 3:192-200, 2003; Rodeo and Izawa, in Garrett et al., eds., Principles and Practice of Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA, 2000). We report the case of a diabetic male with multiple treatment failures. He ultimately sustained a good outcome following treatment with a novel surgical technique that utilized a patella quadriceps tendon allograft. Tendon allograft-to-native bone healing had previously failed in this patient, so we used a bone-tendon construct allograft to provide an allograft bone-to-native bone healing site. Now, 13 months postoperative, the patient has increased strength, minimal pain, 20° of extensor lag and 130° of flexion.