Delayed Spontaneous Fracture of the Proximal Tibia after Tibial Tubercle Osteotomy for Treatment of Patella Instability: A Case Report

INTRODUCTION: Tibial tubercle osteotomy (TTO) is a surgical procedure commonly used. Several local postoperative complications have been identified in the literature, such as early proximal tibial fractures. In exceptional cases, these fractures can occur later in the postoperative period, i.e., after 6 months. The current paper described a case study of this rare delayed complication. CASE REPORT: An athletic 24-year-old military man was admitted to the emergency department following a spontaneous proximal tibial fracture below and arising from the TTO site realized 7 months earlier. CONCLUSION: Delayed spontaneous fractures of the proximal tibia following TTO are extremely rare complications. This paper describes a case of delayed spontaneous fracture in a young athlete. Factors contributing to this fracture are analyzed. An adaptation of the surgical technique and rehabilitation protocol is discussed.