Neglected Rupture of the Patellar Tendon After Fixation of Tibial Tubercle Avulsion in an Adolescent Male Managed With Ipsilateral Semitendinosus Autograft Reconstruction

The combination of a tibial tubercle fracture with patellar tendon avulsion in adolescents is an extremely rare injury that needs to be managed properly. Herein, we report the case of a 15-year-old boy who presented to our department two months after sustaining a tibial tubercle fracture that had been managed with mini-open reduction and internal fixation in another hospital; he had restricted range of motion and complete inability to extend his knee. Clinical and radiological investigations revealed a neglected avulsion of the patellar tendon with marked scarring and severe retraction. The patient underwent patellar tendon reconstruction using the ipsilateral semitendinosus tendon that passed through separate tunnels in the patella and proximal tibia. The postoperative course was uneventful, and one year later the patient had a satisfactory range of motion and a Lysholm score of 90. To our knowledge, a neglected patellar tendon avulsion after tibial tubercle fracture fixation has been reported only once in the literature. The reconstruction of the patellar tendon using an ipsilateral semitendinosus autograft is an excellent surgical technique, especially when severe tendon retraction has occurred.