Patella and Quadriceps tendon tears

Patients can sustain injuries to their knees resulting in full thickness tears of their patella and quadriceps tendons.  Typically patients are middle aged, although these injuries can be sustained by younger people playing sports.

Patients present with pain and swelling around the knee, and usually are aware they have sustained a significant injury.  However, this injury can be missed.  Clinicians need to be aware of this injury, which can often be easily diagnosed a clinical examination, xray, and is confirmed using ultrasound.

This type of injury always requires urgent surgery, as it is very difficult to walk without an intact patella or quadriceps tendon, and almost impossible to walk up and down stairs. 

Risk of surgery

Surgery to repair the tendon involves a 1/100 risk of infection, a 1/100 risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolus (PE), a risk of stiffness, and a 1/1000 risk of significant nerve or blood vessel injury.  The most significant risk is that the tendon repair does not heal, which is very debilitating – the risk of a tendon retear is 5%.  For this reason, Dr Dwyer will keep your knee in a brace for 8 weeks, and not let you bend the knee during this period. The overall chance of a good outcome after this surgery is in the region of 95%.