Arthroscopic Treatment of Femoral Avulsion Fracture of the Posterior Cruciate Ligament in Association with Meniscus Tear

Abstract

Background Femoral avulsion fracture of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in association with meniscus tear is extremely rare in children, and similar cases are not available in the existing literature. Case presentation In this paper, we present a case of a 9‐year‐old boy treated by an arthroscopic repair technique using two transfemoral tunnels sparing the epiphyseal plate for 8‐shaped suture fixation of femoral avulsion fracture of the PCL and using the Fastfix repair system for a meniscus tear. At 3‐month postoperative, the boy showed satisfactory recovery with a full range of motion of the right knee and normal muscular strength, and no complications were observed after operation. The patient had been followed up for 24 months and his final assessment demonstrated stable painless knee with excellent functional outcome. In view of this, we suggest that the “figure‐of‐eight” suture technique using two transfemoral tunnels sparing the epiphyseal plate can be considered a new choice for the treatment of the PCL femoral attachment avulsion, especially in skeletally immature patients. In addition, six similar cases were found in a comprehensive literature review targeting femoral avulsion fracture of the PCL. According to the relevant findings and cases studies, we proposed a new classification named “Xiangya” which might facilitate future clinical decision making.

Keywords

• Femoral avulsion fracture
• Knee injuries
• Meniscus tear
• Posterior cruciate ligament