The cases of thirty-four patients with thirty-six ruptures of the
quadriceps tendon and of thirty-three patients with thirty-six ruptures of
the patellar ligament were studied. The ruptures of the patellar ligament
occurred in patients forty years old and younger, while the quadriceps
tendon ruptures occurred in older patients. Twenty-eight ruptures (38 per
cent) were misdiagnosed initially. When treated without delay, end-to-end
suture was found to give a satisfactory repair of the ruptured quadriceps
tendons and patellar ligaments, although supplemental external fixation was
needed in the latter type of injury. A pins-and-wires technique was found
to give the best results in delayed repairs of the patellar ligament, while
a variety of repair techniques was used in delayed repairs of the
quadriceps tendon. The results of immediate repair at both sites definitely
were better than those of late repair.