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Rare disease
CASE REPORT
Knee sliced open by skate blade: complete patellar tendon rupture in an elite long track speed skater
  1. Alexander Nagel Tandberg1,
  2. Hege Grindem2,
  3. Christian Wiig3 and
  4. Wender Figved1
  1. 1 Orthopaedic Department, Baerum Hospital, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Akershus, Norway
  2. 2 Department of Sports Medicine, Oslo Sport Trauma Research Center, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway
  3. 3 Department of Physiotherapy, Vest helse og trening AS, Akershus, Norway
  1. Correspondence to Dr Alexander Nagel Tandberg, alexnageltand{at}gmail.com

Abstract

A long track speed skater sustained a deep horizontal cut to the right knee just distally to the patella, after he got hit by the skate blade of the pair mate. The injury included a complete patellar tendon rupture from the apex of the patella, a 1 mm deep transverse cut in the femoral condyle and a partial rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament. The tendon rupture was repaired with transosseous suture repair without augmentation. A knee brace was used for 8 weeks, with a gradual decrease in flexion restraints. A rehabilitation programme was overseen by a dedicated physiotherapist. At 6 months, he started a gradual return to skating sessions. After 1 year, he had symmetrical single-legged hop performance, but quadriceps weakness due to pain. The patient returned to competition speed skating at national levels after 11 months, and within the first postoperative year, he was breaking new personal records on the ice.

  • sports and exercise medicine
  • knee injuries
  • tendon rupture
  • physiotherapy (sports medicine)
  • orthopaedic and trauma surgery

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2018-228611

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors ANT performed the surgery, wrote the original article and edited the final one. HG conducted and interpreted the clinical tests, the dynamometer tests, examined the patient, edited the manuscript and gave final approval. CW examined the patient, conducted clinical tests, responsible for the rehabilitation program and gave final approval. WF edited the manuscript and gave final approval.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Patient consent for publication Obtained.