Vertical Cerclage Wiring Provides Superior Early Postoperative Alignment in Inferior Pole Patellar Fractures Compared to Tension Band Wire and Transosseous Suture: A Preliminary Retrospective Radiographic Analysis
Retrospective study shows vertical cerclage wiring improves early postoperative alignment in inferior pole patellar fractures, indicating superior biomechanical stability.
Key Points
To evaluate and compare early postoperative radiographic alignment across vertical cerclage wiring, tension band wiring, and suture repair for inferior pole patellar fractures.
Retrospective review of 36 patients with AO/OTA 34 A1 extra-articular inferior pole patellar fractures treated between April 2016 and May 2025.
Patients were categorized into three surgical cohorts: vertical cerclage wiring (n = 7), tension band wiring (n = 14), and suture repair (n = 15).
Postoperative lateral radiographs were evaluated for residual gap, fracture apposition, and angulation using Kruskal–Wallis and post hoc Dunn's tests.
Vertical cerclage wiring demonstrated a significantly smaller residual fracture gap compared to the suture repair group.
Vertical cerclage wiring achieved significantly less fracture angulation than both tension band wiring and suture repair groups.
Fracture apposition showed no statistically significant differences among the three surgical techniques.