Injury of the knee ligaments associated with ipsilateral femoral shaft fractures

• Published in: Revista brasileira de ortopedia 2013-09, Vol.48 (5), p.438-440
• Main Authors: Caldas, Marco Tulio Lopes, Malheiros, Dorotea Starling, Lazzaroni, Angelo Paulo, Avelino, Eduardo Axer, Santos, Anderson José
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Femur; Fractures; Fratura; Fêmur; Joelho; Knee; Ligamentos; Ligaments; Original; ORTHOPEDICS
• ISSN: 2255-4971; 1982-4378; 2255-4971
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rboe.2012.11.003

With the objective of identifying the incidence of ipsilateral knee ligament injury, thirty-six patients with femoral shaft fractures were evaluated. During the osteosynthesis procedure to repair the femur while under anesthesia, all patients underwent a physical examination and X-ray examination. The most common mechanism of injury observed was motorcycle accidents. Of the thirty-six patients that were studied, eleven patients (30.5%) had a knee ligament injury. Of the eleven patients, 64% had a cruciate ligament injury. The ligament injury was not treated at the time of the osteosynthesis procedure. We highlight the difficulty of diagnosis at the time of admission and the need for systematic physical examination before and after surgical treatment of femoral fracture. Determinar a incidência de lesão ligamentar do joelho em pacientes com fratura diafisária de fêmur ipsilateral. Foram avaliados 36 pacientes. Todos foram submetidos a exame físico e radiológico sob anestesia no momento da osteossíntese do fêmur. O mecanismo de trauma mais comum foi o acidente com motociclistas. Apresentaram lesão ligamentar do joelho 11 (30,5%) pacientes e foram encontradas lesões centrais (64%) e periféricas (36%). Nenhuma das lesões foi tratada no momento da fixação da fratura. Ressalta-se a dificuldade do diagnóstico no ato da admissão e a necessidade de exame físico sistematizado antes e após o tratamento cirúrgico da fratura femoral.