Distal femoral fracture through the screw hole of a ligament augmentation device fixation.

Abstract

Complications associated with fixation of artificial ligaments in augmented repair of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) have been reported throughout the literature. However, fractures following ligament augmentation device (LAD) fixation appear to be rare. We report the case of a 43-year-old woman, injured in a road accident, who sustained a depressed fracture of the tibial plateau and knee instability. The fracture was reduced and the medial collateral ligament and the menisci were sutured. The torn ACL was repaired using the Marshall technique and augmented with an LAD in an over-the-top technique. Twenty-five months postoperatively, the patient sustained a distal femoral fracture through the screw hole of the former LAD fixation after a simple fall on the street.