Autogenous iliotibial band enhancement combined with tendon lengthening plasty to treat patella baja: A case report

Abstract

BACKGROUND Patella baja is a severe complication after knee injury or surgery, resulting in pain and impaired movement. This disorder is also a substantial challenge for orthopaedic surgeons. Currently, no consensus exists regarding the gold standard management of patella baja. If not appropriately treated, significant dysfunction of the knee joint will occur. CASE SUMMARY A 46-year-old man with a left patellar fracture was treated with tension band fixation at a local hospital. He had undergone a second operation at the same hospital because of limited knee flexion 6 mo after surgery. Unfortunately, the patellar tendon was ruptured. The patellar tendon was subsequently repaired using an ipsilateral semitendinosus tendon. Two years later, the patient presented to our department with knee pain and loss of range of motion. Autogenous iliotibial band (ITB) enhancement combined with sagittal tendon lengthening plasty was used to improve the symptoms of the knee joint. The patient was followed up for 2 years. The knee joint function of the patient returned to the normal level. CONCLUSION We successfully treated patella baja using autogenous ITB enhancement combined with sagittal tendon lengthening plasty.