Journal List > J Korean Orthop Assoc > v.50(1) > 1013424

Chon, Lee, Sun, and Shin: Bilateral Stress Fracture at the Inferior Pole of Patella in a Juvenile Athlete

Abstract

Patellar fractures in children occur rarely in approximately 1% of all pediatric fractures and 57% of these are osteochondral or cartilaginous avulsion fractures, a type of sleeve fracture. They may be missed in diagnosis due to small bony fragment on simple radiographs, and they always occur ipsilaterally; however, only a few cases of bilateral patellar fracture of the inferior pole have been reported. We experienced an 11 year-old patient an athlete, who suffered repetitive minor trauma, with a stress fracture, which occurred at the inferior pole of the patella bilaterally, and we report on this unusual case with a literature review.

Figures and Tables

Figure 1

Lateral radiographs of both knees (A: right knee, B: left knee) of an 11-year-old patient show a displaced fracture of the inferior pole of the patella after injury.

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Figure 2

Lateral radiographs of both knees (A: right knee, B: left knee) of an 11-year-old patient show healing of a fracture of the inferior pole of the patella at two months after conservative treatment.

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Figure 3

Lateral radiographs of both knees (A: right knee, B: left knee) of an 11-year-old patient show healing of a fracture of the inferior pole of the patella at four months after conservative treatment.

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Figure 4

Lateral radiographs of both knees (A: right knee, B: left knee) of an 11-year-old patient show healing of a fracture of the inferior pole of the patella at five months after conservative treatment.

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Figure 5

Lateral radiographs of both knees (A: right knee, B: left knee) of an 11-year-old patient show healing of a fracture of the inferior pole of the patella at 18 months after conservative treatment.

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Notes

The authors have nothing to disclose.

References

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