A Rare Case of Large Osteochondral Fracture of Patella

Osteochondral fractures of the patella are relatively common pediatric knee injuries, often missed during the initial evaluation, and almost always associated with acute patella dislocations. We report the case of an adolescent patient with a very large osteochondral fracture of the patella involving almost the whole of the medial patellar facet and without concomitant dislocation of the patella. A 16-year-old adolescent presented to the emergency with pain and swelling in the left knee after sustaining a road traffic accident. On evaluation with an X-ray and a CT scan, a large osteochondral fracture of the patella was diagnosed. The fracture was treated with open reduction and internal fixation with headless compression screws after performing medial parapatellar arthrotomy. After two years, the patient recovered with a full and painless range of movement of the knee, with the complete radiological union of the fracture. This case report discusses a rare case of an adolescent with a large osteochondral fracture of the patella without concomitant patella dislocation.