Avulsion fractures of the knee

Case contributed by Maulik S Patel
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Recent knee trauma followed by pain, swelling, difficulty in walking.

Patient Data

Age: 40 years
Gender: Male
x-ray

There is a vertically oriented linear avulsion fracture from medial femoral condyle. There is a vertically oriented lucency in the lateral tibial condyle. Suprapatellar soft tissue swelling is present along with soft tissue swelling involving the knee. There is intramedullary nail fixation across old healed femur shaft fracture. There is no dislocation or bone lesion.

Annotated image

There is a vertically oriented linear avulsion fracture from medial femoral condyle. There is a vertically oriented lucency in the lateral tibial condyle.

Case Discussion

The case shows two avulsion fractures of the knee. One is medial collateral ligament avulsion which is known as Steida fracture. The other avulsion fracture is from the lateral aspect of the tibial plateau which is known as Segond fracture.

MRI was done later which revealed anterior cruciate ligament tear, Steida fracture, and Segond fracture.

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