Spontaneous bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture in a patient on hemodialysis.

Since the initiation of maintenance dialysis and renal transplantation, the course of patients with chronic renal disease has been altered. One of the frequent complications found in such patients is the development of secondary hyperparathyroidism, which is commonly associated with metastatic calcification and a variety of bone lesions collectively referred to as renal osteodystrophy. Bilateral rupture of the quadriceps tendon is a rare complication and previous reports have prescribed surgical correction of the ruptured tendon. The present case is that of a patient on chronic hemodialysis with secondary hyperparathyroidism and bilateral spontaneous rupture of the quadriceps tendon who was treated successfully without surgery.