Major Quadriceps Gap After Neglected Patellar Sleeve Fracture in a Child: A Case Report.

CASE: A 14-year-old boy presented with a neglected patellar sleeve fracture, resulting in a 19 cm gap between the retracted quadriceps and patella. A stepwise surgical reconstruction combining the "Chambat Sardine Can" tensioning technique, tibial tubercle transfer, rectus femoris release, and allograft bridging was performed.

CONCLUSION

This is the first reported case of such a massive quadriceps retraction. The adaptable surgical strategy, tailored to defect severity, led to excellent functional outcomes and may be applied in both pediatric and adult chronic extensor mechanism ruptures.