Progress in surgical treatment of inferior patellar pole fractures

Abstract

To summarize the surgical treatment methods and progress of inferior patellar pole fractures and provide reference for clinical application. The literature on surgical treatment of inferior patellar pole fractures was extensively reviewed, and the relevant research progress, advantages, and limitations were summarized. The inferior pole of the patella is an important part of the knee extension device, which can strengthen the force arm of the quadriceps. Inferior patellar pole fractures are relatively rare and often comminuted, usually requiring surgical treatment. At present, there are various methods to treat inferior patellar pole fractures, including patellectomy of inferior pole, tension-band wiring technique, plate internal fixation, suture anchor fixation, claw-like shape memory alloy, separate vertical wiring technique. Different methods have their own characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages. The single internal fixation method has more complications and is easy to cause fixation failure. Therefore, the trend of combining various internal fixation methods is developing at present. When the main fragment of the inferior patellar pole fracture is large and mainly distributed transversely, the combination protocol based on tension-band wiring technique can be regarded as an ideal choice. When the fragments are severely damaged and small, the comprehensive protocol based on suture fixation can result in a better postoperative functional recovery.