J Korean Orthop Assoc.  2015 Feb;50(1):71-75. 10.4055/jkoa.2015.50.1.71.

Bilateral Stress Fracture at the Inferior Pole of Patella in a Juvenile Athlete

• Chon JG
• Lee BJ
• Sun DH
• Shin SY

• KMID: 2106742
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.2015.50.1.71

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.

Keyword

stress fractures; patella; children; athletes

MeSH Terms

Athletes*
Child
Diagnosis
Fractures, Stress*
Humans
Patella*

Figure

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  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.

Reference

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