Gap Non-union of the Patella: Early outcome of One Stage Surgical Treatment with V-Y Quadricepsplasty and Tension Band Wiring.

Purpose: Gap non-union of the patellar is rare worldwide though commonly found in developing countries where there is a dearth of orthopaedic surgeons. It is a management challenge to the surgeon in terms of approximation of the gap between the fragments as a result of the contracture involving the quadriceps. Methods: We present two cases of gap non-union of the patella treated by a one-stage procedure involving open reduction, tension band wiring with V-Y quadricepsplasty. Results: First case is a 57-year-old man who had repair of gap non-union of the left patellar, 21 months after injury. Second case is a 34-year-old lady who had repair of gap non-union of the left patellar, 5 years after injury. Conclusions: The satisfactory clinical outcome can be obtained including improved quality-of-life of the patient with this one-stage procedure.