A good option for patella fracture treatment: the use of the fixed angle mini-fragment plate with a circular cerclage wire

We retrospectively evaluated the fixed angle mini-fragment plate with a circular cerclage wire in comparison to K-wire/tension band with circular cerclage wire in treating patellar fractures. Between 2010 and 2014, one hundred and five patients with the patellar fractures were included in the tension band group (n = 105) for analysis at a 1:3 ratio with matching by age and sex to the F3®plate group (n = 35). Exclusion criteria included patients with open fractures, pathological fractures, multiple fractures. All patients were surgically treated by the same medical team. The operative time and complications were recorded for further analysis. Functional outcome assessment using OKS (Oxford Knee Score) and HSS (The hospital for special surgery) points-scoring system were evaluated at the 12 months’ follow-up. Knee flexion and extension deficit was reviewed to assess the range of motion of the knee joint. The baseline information of the patients, such as gender (P = 0.205) and age (P = 0.668), was similar between the two groups. Every patient had a minimum of twelve months’ follow-up. Less operative time (65.51 ± 7.56 min) was required for the F3®plate fixation than K-wire (71.10 ± 12.04 min) (P<0.05). Eleven implant failure, eight soft tissue irritation and three wound infection were found in K-wire group, while only one wound infection and one soft tissue irritation were observed in F3®plate group. The total complication rate in K-wire group was significantly higher (P<0.05). In terms of functional assessment, F3®plate showed lower OKS and higher HSS score, indicating an improved functional restoration of knee joint. The extension deficit of the knee joint was lower in F3®plate group. F3®plate fixation was an alternative surgical option to treat different types of patella fractures in minimizing postoperative complications and promoting early functional recovery.