Creation of transosseous patellar tunnels during extensor mechanism repair: technical note.

Transosseous patellar tunnels commonly are used in the repair of acute or chronic patellar tendon or quadriceps tendon ruptures. Commonly, a small diameter (2.0-3.5 mm) drill bit is used to create these drill tunnels. However, drill bits are relatively brittle and susceptible to breakage. The use of a larger diameter smooth Steinmann pin (3/32") is recommended to create transosseous patellar tunnels to eliminate this potential complication.