To cite: Ni Fhoghlu C, Ellanti P, Moriarity A, et al. BMJ Case Rep Published online: [please include Day Month Year] doi:10.1136/ bcr-2015-209942 DESCRIPTION Quadriceps tendon (QT) ruptures are uncommon injuries that predominantly affect middle-aged men. Ruptures occur as a result of direct or indirect trauma to the knee with a powerful eccentric contraction of the QT being the most frequent ca...

Isolated osteomyelitis of the patella is a rare condition mainly occurring in the pediatric population. Diagnosis is often delayed as clinical presentation manifests with vague anterior knee pain, sometimes with mild local signs of inflammation but frequently without any local signs at all. While falls on the knee can explain mild knee pain, erythema, swelling and persistent peripatellar pain s...

The Blackburne and Peel method of assessing the position of the patella was applied to 185 knees with Osgood--Schlatter disease in 125 patients. The normal index of 0.80 was confirmed in 73 control knees. The average index in the knees with Osgood--Schlatter disease measured 1.01 (patella alta) boys and 0.91 in girls. The value increased to 1.06 in boys with radiological evidence of loose ossic...

A 58-year -old man with a past history of acquired emphysema was admitted after his legs 'gave way' as he walked down a short flight of steps. He was unable to extend either knee actively. Bilateral patellar tendon ruptures were diagnosed clinically from the history, and the finding of swelling and a palpable gap below the lower pole of each patella. The diagnosis was confirmed radiologically (...

Congenital lateral dislocation of the patella is a rare condition caused by displacement of the extensor mechanism of the knee, which occurs before or shortly after birth (Malkin 1932). The patella is small and cannot be replaced in its normal position except by operation. This type of dislocation differs from recurrent or habitual dislocation of the patella, which occurs during childhood or ad...

Congenital dislocation of the patella may be a phenotype, which has several genotypes, i.e. it may be congenital or acquired. This hypothesis is suggested with three illustrative case studies. Risk factors predictive of the development of irreducible dislocation of the patella in infancy are suggested. As there is a spectrum of possible aetiologies, 'late' diagnosis and a number of 'risk' facto...