Endoscopic evacuation of an organized quadriceps haematoma. A case report with a technical note.

Abstract

Backgrounds: Thigh contusion is a common sports injury which results in the localized muscular rupture and haematoma formation causing temporary quadriceps dysfunction. The therapeutical approach is typically conservative, unless an organized large size haematoma is encountered. In such patients the prolonged morbidity and high incidence of myositis ossificans warrant surgical evacuation, which is routinely performed by open approach and thus causing additional trauma to the recovering muscle. Conclusions: The endoscopic evacuation of a large (12 cm x 5 cm) organized post-contusion haematoma in the vastus lateralis in and adolescent handball player in described. The procedure was performed under general anaesthesia using a standard arthroscope and a soft-tissue shaver. The postoperative ultrasound revealed a remnant of fluid (1.5 cm in diameter) in the mid-portion of a previous haematoma that later asymptomatically ossified. The patient’s full knee function was regained at 6 weeks; the return to full sports activities was allowed at 10 weeks. The endoscopic evacuation appears to be a successful minimally invasive surgical intervention for organized post-traumatic quadriceps haematomas.