Complex ruptures of the quadriceps tendon: a systematic review of surgical procedures and outcomes

BACKGROUND: Chronic ruptures, ruptures following total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and re-ruptures of the quadriceps tendon (QT) are rare. A systematic review of the current literature was conducted on their treatment and outcome to provide evidence-based indications for their management. METHODS: We searched published articles in English on chronic ruptures of QT, QT ruptures that occurred after TKA, and re-ruptures in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar up to January 2021. Twenty-five articles were included following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. RESULTS: Data from 25 articles (97 patients) with a mean age of 57 were retrieved. Patients were classified into three groups depending on the type of rupture: 16 patients suffered chronic QTR, 78 a QTR after a TKA, and 9 patients reported a re-rupture. The most frequent surgical approaches were different for each group: Codivilla’s Y-V technique and end-to-end sutures were the most commonly used in the chronic tears group (62.5%), synthetic MESH was the most frequent choice in QTR after a TKA group (38 patients, 53%), while end-to-end sutures were the first choice in the re-rupture group (4 patients, 44%). CONCLUSIONS: Complex ruptures of the QT can be chronic ruptures, re-ruptures, or ruptures occurring after TKA. The choice of the best surgical technique depends on the macroscopic quality of the tendon stumps rather than the timing of intervention. Evidence-based preventive and therapeutic strategies should be developed. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13018-021-02696-9.