Combination of Cable Cerclage and Hook Plate for the Fixation of Comminuted Fractures of Inferior Patellar Pole: A Review of 16 Consecutive Patients Followed Up for a Minimum of 1 Year.

OBJECTIVES

To present a new method consisting of cable cerclage and hook plate for fixating the comminuted inferior patellar pole fracture and evaluate the outcomes.

METHODS

A total of 16 consecutive patients who were treated with the construct of a cable cerclage in combination with a hook plate between January 2018 and September 2020 were included in the study. Mechanism of injury, duration, and technical details of the operation were reviewed. Plain radiographs and computerized tomography (CT) scans were routinely taken to evaluate the fracture pattern. The primary outcome measures included bony healing time, pain intensity-numerical rating scale (PI-NRS), range of motion (ROM), and the Bostman score at the final follow-up.

RESULTS

Eight males and eight females with an average age of 55.6 ± 12.0 years (range, 41 to 73 years) were included. Bony union was achieved in all the patients, with an average healing time of 10.8 ± 2.4 weeks (range, 8-16 weeks). With the average follow-up of 20.1 ± 5.3 months, 12 patients (75%) had no pain (PI-NRS score of 0), and the remaining four patients (25%) reported mild pain (three with a PI-NRS score of 1 and one with a score of 2). The final Bostman score was 27.8 ± 3.0 (range, 20-30) on average, and all the patients showed excellent or good results. The average range of motion was 127.5° ± 13.9° (range, 90°-140°). No implant failure or hardware irritation was found during the follow-up.

CONCLUSION

The fixation of cable cerclage combined with hook plate resulted as a reliable method for managing the inferior patellar pole fractures, allowing immediate rehabilitation and weight-bearing.