OBJETIVO: Determinar a incidência de lesão ligamentar do joelho em pacientes com fratura diafisária de fêmur ipsilateral. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 36 pacientes. Todos foram submetidos a exame físico e radiológico sob anestesia no momento da osteossíntese do fêmur. RESULTADOS: O mecanismo de trauma mais comum foi o acidente com motociclistas. Apresentaram lesão ligamentar do joelho 11 (30,5%) pacientes e foram encontradas lesões centrais (64%) e periféricas (36%). Nenhuma das lesões foi tratada no momento da fixação da fratura. CONCLUSÃO: Ressalta-se a dificuldade do diagnóstico no ato da admissão e a necessidade de exame físico sistematizado antes e após o tratamento cirúrgico da fratura femoral.

OBJECTIVE: With the objective of identifying the incidence of ipsilateral knee ligament injury, thirty-six patients with femoral shaft fractures were evaluated. METHODS: During the osteosynthesis procedure to repair the femur while under anesthesia, all patients underwent a physical examination and X-ray examination. RESULTS: The most common mechanism of injury observed was motorcycle accidents. Of the thirty-six patients that were studied, eleven patients (30.5%) had a knee ligament injury. Of the eleven patients, 64% had a cruciate ligament injury. The ligament injury was not treated at the time of the osteosynthesis procedure. CONCLUSION: We highlight the difficulty of diagnosis at the time of admission and the need for systematic physical examination before and after surgical treatment of femoral fracture.