Tripartite Patella: A Rare Case Report

Introduction: Multipartite patella is an incidental diagnosis, rarely symptomatic, and described scantily in the literature. Symptoms are secondary to direct injury or repetitive micro-trauma, resulting in the separation of fibro-cartilaginous joints across the multiple patellar components. Treatmen...

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Main Authors: V Ravi Kiran, Udit K Jayant, M L V Sai Krishna, Sanjay Singh Rawat
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Indian Orthopaedic Research Group 2025-04-01
Series:Journal of Orthopaedic Case Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://jocr.co.in/wp/2025/04/01/tripartite-patella-a-rare-case-report/
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author V Ravi Kiran
Udit K Jayant
M L V Sai Krishna
Sanjay Singh Rawat
author_facet V Ravi Kiran
Udit K Jayant
M L V Sai Krishna
Sanjay Singh Rawat
author_sort V Ravi Kiran
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Multipartite patella is an incidental diagnosis, rarely symptomatic, and described scantily in the literature. Symptoms are secondary to direct injury or repetitive micro-trauma, resulting in the separation of fibro-cartilaginous joints across the multiple patellar components. Treatment is usually conservative, and occasionally, in resistant cases, surgery is advised. Case Report: We present a 50-year-old with a tripartite patella who presented after a history of falls and incidentally discovered a bipartite patella of the other knee. The symptoms of the tripartite patella were managed conservatively. Conclusion: Symptomatic multipartite patella should be distinguished from traumatic patella fracture. In old patients, a high index of suspicion is required to differentiate between a traumatic disruption of the multipartite patella with quadriceps avulsion and an avulsion fracture of the patella. Suppose there is a high index of suspicion. In that case, magnetic resonance imaging should be preferred to explain the signs and symptoms by noting bone marrow edema, partial or complete rupture of quadriceps, and quadriceps fat pad edema. We suggest that surgical decisions to either fix the fragment or excise be taken intraoperatively based on size, site, amount of articular surface, and associated tendon avulsion.
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spelling doaj-art-81e78f326ff9447fbc07eb57be63577f2025-08-20T02:08:00ZengIndian Orthopaedic Research GroupJournal of Orthopaedic Case Reports2250-06852321-38172025-04-01154808310.13107/jocr.2025.v15.i04.5452Tripartite Patella: A Rare Case ReportV Ravi KiranUdit K JayantM L V Sai KrishnaSanjay Singh RawatIntroduction: Multipartite patella is an incidental diagnosis, rarely symptomatic, and described scantily in the literature. Symptoms are secondary to direct injury or repetitive micro-trauma, resulting in the separation of fibro-cartilaginous joints across the multiple patellar components. Treatment is usually conservative, and occasionally, in resistant cases, surgery is advised. Case Report: We present a 50-year-old with a tripartite patella who presented after a history of falls and incidentally discovered a bipartite patella of the other knee. The symptoms of the tripartite patella were managed conservatively. Conclusion: Symptomatic multipartite patella should be distinguished from traumatic patella fracture. In old patients, a high index of suspicion is required to differentiate between a traumatic disruption of the multipartite patella with quadriceps avulsion and an avulsion fracture of the patella. Suppose there is a high index of suspicion. In that case, magnetic resonance imaging should be preferred to explain the signs and symptoms by noting bone marrow edema, partial or complete rupture of quadriceps, and quadriceps fat pad edema. We suggest that surgical decisions to either fix the fragment or excise be taken intraoperatively based on size, site, amount of articular surface, and associated tendon avulsion.https://jocr.co.in/wp/2025/04/01/tripartite-patella-a-rare-case-report/kneetripartite patellabipartite patella
spellingShingle V Ravi Kiran
Udit K Jayant
M L V Sai Krishna
Sanjay Singh Rawat
Tripartite Patella: A Rare Case Report
Journal of Orthopaedic Case Reports
knee
tripartite patella
bipartite patella
title Tripartite Patella: A Rare Case Report
title_full Tripartite Patella: A Rare Case Report
title_fullStr Tripartite Patella: A Rare Case Report
title_full_unstemmed Tripartite Patella: A Rare Case Report
title_short Tripartite Patella: A Rare Case Report
title_sort tripartite patella a rare case report
topic knee
tripartite patella
bipartite patella
url https://jocr.co.in/wp/2025/04/01/tripartite-patella-a-rare-case-report/
work_keys_str_mv AT vravikiran tripartitepatellaararecasereport
AT uditkjayant tripartitepatellaararecasereport
AT mlvsaikrishna tripartitepatellaararecasereport
AT sanjaysinghrawat tripartitepatellaararecasereport