The Evaluation of Surgical Treatment for Patellar Fracture

Seventy five patients with patellar fractures operated on at Taipei Veterans GeneralHospital between January 1980 and December 1984, were followed up retrospectively for 1.1 to 4 years (average 3.4 years). They were treated by (1) Total patellectomy, (2) Partial patellectomy, (3) Osteosynthesis,and (4) Tension band wiring respectively. We evaluated the results of individual operations subjectively and objectively under the headings of (1) pain, (2) range of motion, (3) subjective assessment, and (4) quadriceps muscle strength. We discovered that the results of the pain, subjectie assessment, and the quadricps muscle strength tests showed little difference among any of the methods of operation for all patellar fractures. But the tatal patellectomy provided the best result in the range of motion. We concluded that if anatomical reduction and rigid fixation could be achieved, the tension band wiring technique which could provide early mobilization was preferred. Otherwise total patellectomy gave satisfactory results.