Article
Arthroscopic Excision of a Painful Bipartite Patella Fragment
Am J Orthop. 2010 January;39(1):40-43
Author and Disclosure Information
Joseph Carney, MD, Darcy Thompson, MS, Joseph O'Daniel, MD, and Jeffrey Cassidy, MD
Dr. Carney is Staff Orthopaedic Surgeon, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California.
Ms. Thompson is a medical student, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California.
Dr. O'Daniel is General Medical Officer, Navy Mobile Construction Battalion, Gulfport, Mississippi.
Dr. Cassidy is Staff Orthopaedic Surgeon, Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Bipartite patella is an uncommon finding, with the majority of cases discovered incidentally on radiographs. Occasionally, bipartite patella can become painful through sports activities, overuse, or following an injury, and the large majority of these cases resolve with nonoperative treatment. However, for patients who do not respond to a prolonged course of nonoperative treatment, surgical options may be considered. We report a successful case of arthroscopic excision of a painful bipartite patella fragment in a 19-year-old male collegiate basketball player. A review of the literature is included.