Patellar Tendon Rupture

Home
About Us
- - About Us
  - About AMSSM
  - FAMSSM Designation
  - Awards
  - Founders
  - Past Presidents
  - Board of Directors
  - Committees
  - Contact Us
  - Bylaws/Policy & Committee Handbooks
- - FAMSSM Applications
  - Application submission is now open for the 2025 Class of AMSSM Fellows. New Fellows will be announced to the AMSSM membership after the first of the year and honored at the 2025 Annual Meeting.
    
    Applications for the FAMSSM Designation will be available on an annual basis. Please contact Ellen Glasgow with any questions regarding the FAMSSM application.
- - We Understand You
Membership
- - Join or Renew Now
- - AMSSM Quarterly ePub
    Newsletter
  - Click here to view
Communications
- - Online AMSSM Community for Members
  - AMSSM Collaborate online community provides a forum for year-long connection, giving members the chance to have conversations, share resources and make connections with your peers.
- - AMSSM Informational Brochures
  - Find informational brochures about sports medicine physicians geared toward coaches, parents and other healthcare professionals.
Education
- - AMSSM Sports Medcasts
  - Find all current and past AMSSM Sports Medcast episodes in one convenient location.
- - AMSSM Fellow Online Lecture Series
  - The AMSSM National Fellow Online Lecture Series features talks from national experts on fundamental sports medicine topics pertinent to fellowship training and sports medicine board certification. Go to the collaborate.amssm.org site and view the available lectures in the Upcoming Events area.
Research
Advocacy
- - Legislative and Policy Issues
  - AMSSM is the go-to organization for legislative and policy issues related to sports medicine and athlete health and safety.
- - Legislation by State
  - AMSSM offers a variety of advocacy resources, including a map that tracks legislation important to sports medicine physicians.
Sports US
- - Sports Ultrasound Online Didactics
  - These 35 educational modules cover all of the didactic instructional session topics recommended for sports medicine fellows by the AMSSM.
- - Sports Ultrasound Committee
  - Find all the resources, materials and guidelines from the AMSSM Sports Ultrasound Committee
Patients
- - Need a Sports Medicine Physician?
  - FindADoc
- - SportsMedToday.com
  - Your comprehensive sports medicine resource for athletes, coaches and parents.
Additional Information
- - Additional Information
  - Sports Med Today
  - Journals
  - Weekly Digests
  - Store
  - Careers
  - Industry
Foundation

Patellar Tendon Rupture

Authors, Editors, Case Information Author: Joseph Brutzkus, MD Affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago Co Author(s): Ankur Verma, DO Senior Editor: William Berrigan, MD Clinical Vignette: 41 yr old M with knee pain after feeling a pop while playing basketball 6 weeks prior. On exam, there is a palpable defect at the infrapatellar space and weakness with knee extension. Type of Probe Used: 4-15 mHz Linear Transducer SAX Short Axis of the Infrapatellar Space (please note arrows are pointing out defect) LAX Long Axis of the Infrapatellar Space SAX Short Axis of the Infrapatellar Space LAX Long Axis of the Infrapatellar space Interpretation Image Interpretation: In the long axis view, there is disruption of the proximal aspect of the patellar tendon, consistent with full-thickness patellar tendon rupture. On short-axis imaging, the fat pad can be seen in a more superior position than expected due to the defect in the tendon. There are also hyperechoic areas within the fat pad, suggestive of fibrosis. Teaching Pearl: This is an example of how ultrasound can be used as a point-of-care modality to diagnose large tendon tears, including patellar tendon tears as in this case. It is important to scan the entire width of the tendon in both long and short axis to look for continuity and to help delineate the extent of the tendon tear. If there is an area of interest, you can have the patient attempt to contract their quad to further visualize the structure and investigate for discordance.
NOTE: For more information, please contact the AMSSM, 4000 W. 114th Street, Suite 100, Leawood, KS 66211 (913) 327-1415.

Back		Top

Authors, Editors, Case Information

SAX

LAX

SAX

LAX

Interpretation

UPCOMING EVENTS

FIND A SPORTS DOC