Management of Chronic Quadriceps Tendon Rupture

Chronic quadriceps tendon (QT) ruptures are uncommon injuries that present treatment challenges due to their complex nature and the limited evidence to guide management.Timely diagnosis and surgical management of acute QT injury are imperative to optimize patient outcomes as delayed diagnosis leads to poorer results regardless of treatment modality.Elements of chronic QT ruptures that may complicate surgical management include patient age, comorbidity, scar-tissue formation, amount of quadriceps muscle/ tendon retraction, and distalmigration of the patella with contraction of the tendon.Treatment options for chronic QT ruptures include primary repair with or without vastus advancement, V-Y tendon lengthening with or without tissue augmentation, and autograft or allograft reconstruction.