Simultaneous Bilateral Rupture of Quadriceps Tendons
Simultaneous Bilateral Rupture of Quadriceps Tendons
Background: Simultaneous bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture is an uncommon injury that is frequently misdiagnosed. It has been associated with multiple medical conditions including renal disease, rheumatologic disorders, and endocrine disorders.
Methods: All reported cases of simultaneous bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture were identified using MEDLINE. Each case was reviewed for information regarding the injury, and this information was analyzed.
Results: There were 66 cases of simultaneous bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture reported in the English-language literature. This review presents descriptive data on all the cases and analyzes the following factors surrounding rupture: age, sex, time before diagnosis, mechanism of injury, location of rupture, and associated chronic diseases. Most patients were treated surgically, followed by 4 to 6 weeks of immobilization, which resulted in a good outcome.
Conclusion: Numerous associations were found and are discussed in this review. Patients with quadriceps tendon rupture should be evaluated for an underlying chronic disease.
Unilateral rupture of the quadriceps tendon is a common injury and has been well reported. However, simultaneous bilateral rupture of the quadriceps tendons is uncommon. It generally occurs from a fall down stairs or is spontaneous. Steiner and Palmer reported the first case of simultaneous bilateral rupture of the quadriceps tendon in 1949. Since that initial report, 66 cases have been reported in the English-language literature, but there has never been a thorough review or analysis of all the cases in the literature. This paper is the first to review all the cases of simultaneous bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture since Steiner and Palmer's original description and to analyze the various associations with this injury.
Background: Simultaneous bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture is an uncommon injury that is frequently misdiagnosed. It has been associated with multiple medical conditions including renal disease, rheumatologic disorders, and endocrine disorders.
Methods: All reported cases of simultaneous bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture were identified using MEDLINE. Each case was reviewed for information regarding the injury, and this information was analyzed.
Results: There were 66 cases of simultaneous bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture reported in the English-language literature. This review presents descriptive data on all the cases and analyzes the following factors surrounding rupture: age, sex, time before diagnosis, mechanism of injury, location of rupture, and associated chronic diseases. Most patients were treated surgically, followed by 4 to 6 weeks of immobilization, which resulted in a good outcome.
Conclusion: Numerous associations were found and are discussed in this review. Patients with quadriceps tendon rupture should be evaluated for an underlying chronic disease.
Unilateral rupture of the quadriceps tendon is a common injury and has been well reported. However, simultaneous bilateral rupture of the quadriceps tendons is uncommon. It generally occurs from a fall down stairs or is spontaneous. Steiner and Palmer reported the first case of simultaneous bilateral rupture of the quadriceps tendon in 1949. Since that initial report, 66 cases have been reported in the English-language literature, but there has never been a thorough review or analysis of all the cases in the literature. This paper is the first to review all the cases of simultaneous bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture since Steiner and Palmer's original description and to analyze the various associations with this injury.
