A rare case of unilateral bicondylar fractures of the femoral condyles is presented. Internal fixation of the fragments was achieved by three cancellous lag screws, followed by a short period of cast immobilization and intensive physiotherapy. Full weight bearing was allowed 3 months postoperatively. Full range of motion of the knee and no presence of articular defects on femoral condyles were observed 2 years after hardware and heterotopic ossification removal.
The unicondylar tangential posterior fracture of the femur (Hoffa fracture) is an unusual injury, most commonly affecting the lateral condyle. The usual mechanism of injury is a combination of vertical shearing and twisting forces. A bicondylar Hoffa fracture is an extremely rare injury, and only five cases have been reported so far in the literature. 1–5 We present a patient with this type of fracture after a follow-up period of 2 years and discuss the appropriate treatment options.
From the Orthopaedic Department, Patras University Hospital, Rio-Patras, Greece.
Accepted for publication March 14, 2003.
No financial support was received by the authors for their work on this project.
The devices that are the subject of this article are FDA approved.
Corresponding author: Andreas X. Papadopoulos, MD, Orthopaedic Department, Patras University Hospital, Papanikolaou St 1, Tk 26504, Rio-Patras, Greece (e-mail: paprod@hotmail.com and pan21@medscape.com).
