Fracture of tibial tuberosity in an adult with Paget's disease of the bone – An interesting case and review of literature

Abstract

Introduction: Paget's disease of the bone is a non-malignant skeletal disorder characterized by focal abnormalities in bone remodelling at one or more skeletal sites. Pathological fractures occurring from trivial injuries are a well-known clinical presentation in patients with Paget's disease. An avulsion fracture of the tibial tuberosity is an infrequent injury and has an extremely low occurrence in adults, with only a few cases reported in literature. We describe a case of a patient with undiagnosed Paget's Disease of the bone, sustaining a pathological avulsion fracture of the tibial tuberosity. Case report: A 54-year-old male presented with right knee pain after his knee gave way whilst standing in the goal area during a game of football, twisting his right ankle and falling. Plain radiographs of the knee revealed an avulsion fracture of the tibial tuberosity with abnormal modelling of the proximal half of the tibia. An MRI confirmed a diagnosis of Paget's disease of the bone. The patient underwent open reduction internal fixation. At 3 months follow up, the patient had good knee range of motion from 0 to 100 degrees and by 6 months he had returned to his usual activities. Conclusion: We describe a unique case of tibial tuberosity avulsion fracture in an adult with PDB. Treatment was successful with cannulated screws and tension band wiring. Patients with PDB who fracture present with diagnostic and operative challenges, it is vital to progress with caution in the postoperative rehabilitation phase.

Keywords

• Tibial tuberosity fracture
• Paget's disease of the bone
• Bone fragility
• Adult fracture