Displaced osteochondral fracture of the lateral femoral condyle associated with an acute anterior cruciate ligament avulsion fracture: a corollary of “the lateral femoral notch sign”

• Published in: Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA, 2012-08, Vol.20 (8), p.1599-1602
• Main Authors: Sharma, Gaurav, Naik, V. Anand, Pankaj, Amite
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Anterior Cruciate Ligament - surgery; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; Arthritis; Arthroscopy; Cartilage; Contusions; Femoral Fractures - complications; Femoral Fractures - diagnosis; Fracture Fixation, Internal; Fractures; Humans; Injuries; Knee; Knee Injuries - diagnosis; Knee Injuries - surgery; Knee Joint - surgery; Ligaments; Male; Medical imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Orthopedics; Osteoarthritis; Range of motion; Rupture; Tibial Fractures - complications; Tibial Fractures - diagnosis
• ISSN: 0942-2056; 1433-7347
• DOI: 10.1007/s00167-011-1795-3

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is usually accompanied by bone contusions resulting from impact of tibia on femur. The injury sometimes becomes manifest as a depression on the lateral femoral condyle giving rise to “lateral femoral notch” sign. The authors describe a rare case of impaction of the tibia and femur resulting in an osteochondral fracture rather than the usual bone contusion, which frequently occurs with ACL rupture. Open reduction and internal fixation of both the ACL avulsion fracture and the osteochondral fracture from the lateral femoral condyle were done, and the patient had a good outcome at 1-year follow-up. Level of evidence V.