Osteochondral fracture of patella

Abstract

Osteochondral fractures of patella are commonly associated with acute patellar dislocations and are frequently missed or misinterpreted in initial radiograph. Usually such fractures need surgical treatment. This article presents a case of a 13-year-old girl who sustained a twisting knee injury while doing exercise (yoga) and sustained a small osteochondral fracture of the central part of the patella, displaced inferolaterally, lying close to lateral femoral condyle. The initial radiograph was misinterpreted as chip fracture of lateral femoral condyle. Diagnosis of osteochondral fracture of patella was confirmed only during the surgery. This case needs to be reported as the osteochondral fracture of patella was not only missed but also misinterpreted.

Keywords

• chip fracture
• lateral femoral condyle
• misinterpretation
• osteochondral fracture
• patella