Comparing clinical and patient reported outcomes of suture anchor and transosseous repairs of quadriceps tendon rupture

Quadriceps tendon ruptures are relatively uncommon but severe injuries to the extensor mechanism are usually treated surgically. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the results following a standard transosseous (TO) repair to a suture anchor (SA) repair. A retrospective cohort was analyzed from a single institution with a total of 10 SA and 17 TO repairs meeting inclusion criteria. Average clinical follow up was 5.8 months and 15.2 months for the SA and TO groups, respectively. Re rupture rates were 9% and 13%, with total complication rates of 27% and 32% for the SA and TO groups, respectively. Knee flexion was 117° for SA repairs and 128° for TO repairs after a minimum of 3 months. Mean Lysholm scores were 63 and 72.8, recorded at a mean of 4.7 years and 5.5 years after the SA and TO repairs, respectively. Operative time was similar between both groups at 93 min and 90 min for the SA and TO groups, respectively. This study showed that the clinical results, re rupture rates, complications, and operative times were similar between suture anchor and transosseous repairs of the quadriceps tendon. Therefore both techniques are appropriate for the management of this debilitating injury.