Abstract

Background: Rupture of the proximal rectus femoris tendon has been well documented in the literature because of a bony avulsion of the anteroinferior iliac spine predominantly in the active adolescent population. Most of these ruptures are treated non-operatively with good functional outcomes. However, when conservative treatments fail, surgery is an option.

Purpose: To describe a rare case of successful surgical management of a chronic ruptured proximal rectus femoris tendon.

Results: The patient progressively returned to competitive sports without any symptoms at four months post tendon repair. At final follow-up two years after surgical repair, the patient has a University of California, Los Angeles activity score of 10, and a Non-Arthritic Hip Score of 95/100.

Conclusion: Tendon avulsion of the rectus femoris muscle is a rare entity in the adult population. Surgical management of chronic tendon avulsion of the rectus femoris proved to be efficient and can be recommended when conservative treatment fails.