A 30 year old man was jumping up and down when he landed awkwardly and immediately felt pain in his knee. He crawls to the nearest ED where he has the following x-rays obtained:
Films show a high-riding patella which is suggestive of a patellar tendon rupture. Rupture of the patellar tendon is frequently associated with jumping so this is also referred to as ‘jumper’s knee’. Patients often report hearing a ‘pop’, have immediate onset of swelling, and pain with bearing weight. In reality, this diagnosis can probably be made clinically as patients will have a visible defect as shown below:
A small tear probably won’t require surgery. You’ll wear a brace and do physical therapy for 3 to 6 weeks while the tendon heals. A larger tear might need a surgical repair. A total rupture always means a trip to the operating room.
Here’s our patient a few weeks later (post-operative):
