Kneecap Fractures (Patella Fractures): Fixation With a Plate and Screws Animation

Kneecap Fractures (Patella Fractures): Fixation With a Plate and Screws Animation

This animation demonstrates fixation of a kneecap fracture with a plate and screws. Here, we see a right knee. First, an incision is made along the front of the knee to access the patella or kneecap. Multiple fractures are seen in the kneecap. The broken bone pieces are first repositioned back together with surgical clamps.

Guidewires are then inserted into the broken bone pieces from the bottom of the kneecap to temporarily hold the pieces in place. The depths of the wires are measured, and screws are inserted over the wires to compress the broken bone pieces together. The wires are then removed.

Next, a star-shaped metal plate is placed over the front of the kneecap. This is a trial plate that is used to determine the correct size for the final plate to make sure that it fits over all of the fractures. Once the correct size is determined, the final metal plate is placed over the kneecap and temporarily held in place with ball-headed pins.

A drill guide is inserted into the center of the plate to hold the plate in place, and a drill is inserted into the guide to drill a hole into the kneecap. The drill and guide are removed, and a screw is inserted through the plate into the drilled hole in the kneecap. The same steps are repeated for several more screws and the ball-headed pins are removed.

These screws do not go all the way through the bone to prevent damage to the cartilage and underside of the kneecap. The skin incision will be closed with sutures and the procedure is complete.