Last Updated on December 19, 2019
knee injuries occur following trauma or fall. The knee is a major weight-bearing joint and the knee injuries require proper management with appropriate treatment. Following are few x-rays of knee injuries and other conditions of the knee.
Image 1 – Knee Xray Showing Fracture Patella
The image in the view shows a lateral view of the knee joint. The x-ray shows a fracture of patella bone. Patella is the bone that is present on the anterior aspect of the knee. It is also called kneecap.
Fracture of the patella is commonly associated with rupture of quadriceps mechanism which results in an inability to extend the knee.
Patellar fractures are quite common injuries and frequently require surgical fixation.
The patient in present image suffered this injury after he tripped on a banana peel. The patient has been operated with tension band wiring and is mobile with crutches now.
Image 2 – Xray of United Fracture Distal Femur With Condylar Plate In Situ
Distal femur fractures are also called intercondylar fractures and supracondylar fractures. Former are intra-articular injuries and often need surgical stabilization.
This is an x-ray of the patient who was treated surgically for intercondylar fractures with use of condylar plate as an implant.
The fracture has united very well and articular congruity is very well maintained.
Image 3 – Supracondylar Fracture Of Femur – Anteroposterior Xray
This fracture was sustained by a 47 years old bike driver in a road traffic accident.
Interestingly, the patient refused the surgery and was treated with traction.
Image 4 – Knee x-ray Showing Fracture Shaft Of Femur With Ipsilateral Medial Condyle Tibia Fracture
Concomitant fractures of tibia and femur are increasing due to the increase in motor vehicular trauma. The following images are radiographs of a young man who suffered from injury to his femur and tibia when his bike struck with an auto-rickshaw and he was toppled over.
The following x-ray is of the thigh bone. A fracture in middle third-lower third is visible along with a butterfly fragment.
Here is an x-ray of his knee and leg, revealing medial condyle fracture of tibia.
The person was treated with interlock nailing for femur and condylar plating for the tibia.
Image 4 – Hoffa’s Fracture Fixed With Cannulated Cancellous Screws and Herbert Screws
Hoffa fracture is a fracture of the condyle of the femur in the coronal plane [A plane that divides the body into front and back halves]
Following is an x-ray of 41 years old male who had Hoffa’s fracture in motor vehicle injury and was operated for the same.
Following x-rays are after 4 weeks of surgery.
First the anteroposterior view.
Here is the lateral view.
Cannulated cancellous screws and Herbert Screws have been used for fixation of the fracture.
Image 5 – Lateral Xray of Operated Patella Fracture Fixed With Screws and Tension Band Wiring
Postoperative x-rays images of fracture patella shown here
The screws were used along with TBW because of comminution.
Image 6 – Comminuted Fracture of Patella – AP and Lateral Knee Xrays
Twenty-six years old male fell from a motorbike and injured his knee. The x-ray revealed a comminuted fracture of the patella.
The fracture was treated with tension band wiring using screws and k-wires.
Image 7 – Bilateral Knee Xrays Showing Distal Femoral Physeal Injury In A Child
The following x-ray shows a bilateral distal femur physis injury in a nine-year-old child that occurred due to fall from height.
The child was treated with closed reduction and K-wire fixation of both the injuries.
Image 8 – Lateral View Xray of Knee Showing Displaced Fracture of Patella
The following x-ray is of 37 years old female who suffered a fractured patella after a fall.
The fracture fragments are widely displaced and require tension band wiring.
Image 8 – Lateral View of Knee Showing Broken Stainless Steel Circlage Wire In United Fracture Patella
Lateral view of united fracture patella showing a broken stain steel cerclage wire.
The cerclage was done two years back for fracture of patella which is well united on this x-ray.
The implant was removed.
Image 9 – Comminuted Distal Third Femur Fracture Fixed By Distal Femur Plate
Sixty-five years old lady presented with a history of injury three months back operated at a distant place. She gave a history of fracture in femur which had been fixed.
Her latest x-ray showed a comminuted fracture of distal femur fixed by a distal femoral plate.
The fracture had still not united.
Image 10 -Xray of Fracture of Distal Femur
Following x-ray of is of 24 years old male patient who suffered following a motor vehicle injury. The x-ray reveals a distal femoral fracture in the intercondylar and supracondylar region.
There was no neurovascular deficit. The patient was splinted and advised fixation of fracture but patient chose not to get operated.
Image 11 – Xray of Oblique Fracture Femur In Supracondylar Region
The following x-ray is of 42 years old lady with a fracture of the supracondylar region of the femur. The patient had post polio residual paralysis in the limb and also had about 60-degree flexion deformity prior to the injury.
The patient was suggested open reduction and internal fixation for the fracture but she chose not to get operated. The limb was splinted with the posterior slab in same flexion deformity.
Image 12 – Knee Xray with Loose Bodies in Knee With Osteoarthritis
Loose bodies in the knee may be found in osteoarthritis and represent a loose [unattached to any tissue] piece of bone or cartilage or any other foreign object.
Following x-ray belongs to 56 years old lady who complained of knee pain that aggravated with walking. Loose bodies are visible.
She was advised arthroscopic removal of the loose body.
Image 13 – Xray of Comminuted Fracture of Patella
The x-ray in the image belongs to a 23-year-old man who sustained a fall from a motorbike. The x-ray is the lateral view of the knee and shows a comminuted fracture of the patella.
The patient was operated with tension band wiring and has recovered uneventfully.
Image 14 – Xray of Undisplaced Transverse Fracture of Patella
Patella fracture is a very common injury. The x-ray shows a transverse undisplaced fracture of the patella in 44 years old man. The fracture of the patella is usually not visible in the anteroposterior view. The fracture was treated in a cylinder cast.
Undisplaced fractures of the patella are usually amenable to nonoperative treatment.
Image 15 – Xray of Bilateral Medial Compartment Osteoarthritis of knee
Osteoarthritis typically starts in the medial compartment of the knee and then progresses to all the compartments.
The x-ray belongs to a lady of 49 years old reveals bilateral medial compartment involvement.
The patient is being managed on conservative treatment.
Image 16 – Fracture Of Medial Condyle Of Right Femur
Xrays of condyles of the femur are common injuries. Lateral condyle injuries are more common as compared to medial condyle. If undisplaced the medial condyle fractures can be managed by nonoperative means. Displaced fractures require open reduction and internal fixation.
Following x-ray belongs to a 39 years old male who got injured following fall from a bicycle.
The fracture is marked by arrows in both the views.
The fracture was managed with above knee cast.
Image 17 – Distal Femoral Physeal Slip in a 13 years old boy, reduced and fixed with K-wires.
The patient recovered uneventfully.
Various types of knee injuries are being shown in these x-rays
Image 18- AP and Lateral Views of Avulsion Fracture of Tibial Spine
Xray of 21 years old male who suffered motor vehicle accident and had an avulsion fracture of the tibial spine
The patient was treated with a conservative mode of treatment
Image 19 – Xray of Untreated Floating Knee Injury After Three Month of Injury
Floating knee injury is the term used when there is an injury on femoral as well as the tibial side of the knee. The following x-ray is of 24 years old male who had a floating injury to his right knee and did not get any treatment for it.
The x-ray was taken about three months after injury.
Image 20 – Xray of Tibial Spine Fracture
Following x-rays are AP and lateral views of a knee joint showing fracture of the tibial spine.
AP view
Lateral View
The patient was treated with an above knee cast.
Note ununited severely comminuted femur and tibia fractures. There is an attempt to unite but insufficient.
Image 21 – Xray of Fracture of Patella in an Adult
Xray of the knee showing fracture of the patella in an adult male who got injured in a motor vehicle accident.
Image 22 – Xray of Hoffa Fracture
Hoffa fracture is a fracture of femoral condyle in the coronal plane [a plane that divides the body into front and back half]. This x-ray is of 33 years old male who injured his knee in an accident.
The x-ray is lateral view and the condyle involved was lateral femoral condyle.
The fracture was operated by open reduction and internal fixation and used 2 cannulated cancellous screws for fixation of the fracture.
Here is a Carm view after fixation
This kind of fracture requires open reduction and internal fixation in form of tension band wiring.
Image 23 – Displaced Comminuted Fracture Patella
Fifty-three years old carpenter fell from the stairs and injured his knee. Xray revealed a displaced fracture of the patella as seen in x-ray below.
The patient was advised for tension band wiring procedure but the patient chose not to get treated.
Image 7 – Operated Fracture Patella With Ipsilateral Fracture Upper Tibia
Xrays of operated fracture of the patella and ipsilateral proximal tibia in 43 years old male after 8 weeks of surgery. Fracture of the patella was treated by tension band wiring and proximal tibia fracture was treated by buttress plating and cannulated cancellous screws.
Both the fractures had united by this time and the patient had only a terminal restriction of knee motion.
Image 8 – Posttraumatic Genu Valgum
65 years old man presented with knee deformity. There was a history of trauma to the knee after which there was a deformity of the knee.
The patient had genu valgum of the right side.
Here is the clinical photograph of genu valgum
Here the x-ray of the same patient showing deformity of the knee.
