Patellar fractures are prevalent within the age group of 20 - 50 years old and account for 1% of total fractures. They are classified according to 2 major aspects: fracture trace characteristic and bone exposure presence, which drives treatment selection towards the various proposed techniques. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of patellar fractures patterns and to analyze the functional outcomes found with the different treatment modalities at the IOT-HC-FMUSP. One hundred and three files of patellar fracture patients treated at IOT during the period of 1988 - 1999 with a minimum follow-up time of 5 years were gathered. Mean age was 39.4 years old, being 68% males, 51.5% with right side affected, and 2.9% bilateral. Transverse fractures were prevalent (36%); 30% with bone exposure; the most used techniques were: partial patellectomy (46.6%), tension band (20.4%), plastered immobilization (17.5%), cerclage (4.8%), and total patellectomy (2.9%). Outcomes were considered as excellent or good in 57.1% for tension band AO, and in 44.4% for partial patellectomies. It was concluded that the end functional outcome in the patellar fracture treatment is multifactorial; the kind of fracture, the treatment approach (conservative or surgical), age, and the mechanism of trauma, alone, do not influence therapy success.
Fractures; Patella; Motion; Pain
