Surgical Treatment for Acute Patella Tendon Rupture: a Prospective, Randomized Study Comparing Transpatellar Suture Tunnels Method vs. Suture Anchors.

The patella tendon is located in the knee, and is attached to the leg bone and the patella bone (knee cap). The quadriceps muscle (an important tight muscle) attaches to the patella bone and allows for extension and flexion of the leg. Rupture of the patella tendon occurs mainly in people under the age of 40 years old with an active lifestyle. Normally, surgical repair is needed to fix this injury. The widely accepted surgery for this injury consists in drilling 2 holes in the patella bone that are used to anchor the patella tendon in place. This surgery has some complications such as re-rupture of the tendon, breakage of the bone, etc. Some investigators have tried different techniques to avoid these complications with variable results. We want to use 2 anchors in the bone to avoid making holes in the patella bone, decreasing complications and surgical time, and hopefully, allowing for a better surgical repair. We will have 2 arms. One group will have the standard of care technique and the second group will have the anchors technique. We will follow up with our patients after the surgery to record their progress, and complications, if any. We will also have a standardized physical therapy program for consistency and to avoid any problems.