Functional Outcomes Of Patella Fractures Treated With Anterior Plate Osteosynthesis At One Year.

Objectives To evaluate the functional outcomes of patients with displaced patellar fractures treated with anterior plate constructs. Design Prospective cohort and retrospective clinical and radiographic assessment. Setting Level I Trauma Center. Patients/participants Between 2014 and 2018, eighteen patients who underwent operative intervention for an isolated, displaced patella fracture (AO/OTA 34 C1-3) with a minimum of 1-year follow-up agreed to participate in the study. Mean follow-up was 19.5 ± 6.0 months. Intervention Patients were treated with 2.4 or 2.7-mm plates as well as supplemental screws or cerclage wires. Main outcome measurements Patients were evaluated with the SF-36 and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS) and asked about symptomatic hardware. Range of motion was assessed by goniometer. Results The cohort had no wound complications, infections, nonunion, loss of reduction or implant failure. Active knee flexion was 131 ± 7°. Five patients (28 %) endorsed implant irritation. Only one patient (5.5 %) underwent implant removal, which consisted of transverse screw removal only. Twelve of the fourteen patients (86%), who were previously employed, returned to work at 10 ± 7 weeks. All KOOS subscale scores and the SF-36 scores for physical functioning, limitations due to physical health, limitations due to mental health, and social functioning were significantly lower than reference population norms (p Conclusions Anterior plating provides reliable fixation for displaced patellar fractures and results in a low incidence of implant irritation. However, patients who had anterior fixation for displaced patella fractures continue to exhibit functional deficits at one year post-operatively. Level of evidence Therapeutic Level IV.