Patellar tendon rupture
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Synopsis
Risk factors include being immunocompromised / systemic disease, taking systemic corticosteroids, and use of anabolic steroids as well as patellar tendinitis, past injury, or degeneration. A history of cortisone injection into a patella tendon is associated with a high rate of tendon rupture.
Patellar tendon rupture presents with pain. There will be a palpable defect in the region of the patellar tendon. Patients may report hearing a "pop" or feeling their knee give way. The patient will have an inability to perform a straight leg raise (raise their heel from the exam table while the knee is fully extended).
The condition can be an acute or chronic (delayed presentation > 6 weeks).
It is a rare but well-described condition to have simultaneous contralateral extensor mechanism injury.
Codes
M66.269 – Spontaneous rupture of extensor tendons, unspecified lower leg
SNOMEDCT:
30832001 – Rupture of patellar tendon
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Last Updated:02/04/2020