A Rare Post-traumatic Tibial Tubercle Avulsion Combined With a Complete Section of the Patellar Tendon in a Young Patient: Insight Into Surgical Management

Avulsion of the tibial tubercle with patellar tendon section in children is a rare but serious injury. It typically occurs after acute trauma, such as a forceful take-off or sudden jump in a young person nearing skeletal maturity. Diagnosis is made on plain radiographs, and displaced forms require surgical treatment to realign and fix the bone fragment and repair the tendon. We report here the case of a 15-year-old adolescent involved in a road traffic accident with a direct impact to the left knee. Standard radiographs showed a fracture of the tibial tubercle. Intraoperative exploration revealed a combined tibial tubercle avulsion and a complete section of the patellar tendon at its insertion. Fixation of the displaced tubercle and the patellar tendon using two staples was performed, with a favorable postoperative course and good functional outcome. Later, at the six-month follow-up, examination of the left knee demonstrated a full, pain-free range of motion, with complete active extension and full flexion.