# Tibial Tubercle Avulsion Fracture in Young Athletes Surgically Treated: Mid-Long Term Result and Comparison

## TL;DR

This study examines the mid-to-long-term outcomes of surgery for tibial apophysis avulsion fractures in young athletes, finding that muscle strength recovery is nearly complete.

## Contribution

The study provides empirical evidence on the effectiveness of ORIF with cannulated screws and tendon stripping for tibial apophysis fractures in young athletes.

## Key findings

- Patients showed almost complete recovery of muscle strength activation in the injured limb.
- No statistically significant differences were found between the injured and healthy limbs in muscle activation.
- The surgical treatment did not compromise return to sport or extensor apparatus strength.

## Abstract

Objectives: Tibial apophysis avulsion fracture is an unusual injury in young pediatric athletes. The mechanism of injury is often related to sports (i.e football and basketball). Fifteen patients who had this kind of fracture underwent surgical Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (ORIF) with two or three cannulated screws and tendon stripping. In this kind of injury and treatment, one of the most important concerns is the recovery of the extensor apparatus strength of the lower limb. Materials and Methods: We followed up the patients for 12 months, performing biomechanical tests and a kinetic analysis to evaluate the activation of the leg muscles such as rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and semitendinosus muscle fibers and compared them with the contralateral healthy limb. Results: The results showed that there was an almost complete recovery of muscle strength activation without any statistically significant differences compared to the healthy limb. Conclusions: This surgical treatment appears to be safe and effective in the treatment of tibial apophysis fractures in young athletes, since this type of surgical treatment does not compromise the recovery of the extensor apparatus strength and/or return to sport of the lower limb in case of tibial apophysis fractures in young athletes.