The diagnosis

The MRI provides the attending physician with an ultimately reliable diagnosis. The MRI is able to depict the soft tissue structures of the body so precisely that the torn tendon can be displayed. Furthermore, it can be assumed that the previous medical history and physical examination will hardly allow any other option.

Apart from a typical situation of origin due to overloading, there is the view of the thigh in side comparison and the patient’s information on the course of the accident as well as on the suddenly shooting pain and the resulting loss of function. A hematoma on the front of the thigh just above the knee also fits very well into the picture of a quadriceps tendon rupture. These clues are usually sufficient as indications, so that the MRI only serves as a final check.

As already indicated, the MRI of the femur serves as evidence of the presence of a tendon rupture because it is able to show soft tissue particularly well. Ruptures can therefore be detected very well. Compared with CT, there are two major advantages when it comes to the question of tendon rupture.

On the one hand, the MRI is able to display soft tissue in much greater detail, which is due to the imaging technique. While CT works with X-rays and thus detects the different densities of materials, MRI works with a technology that is capable of detecting the different water content of matter. No X-rays are needed, which is why the MRI produces virtually no radiation exposure for the human body.

The disadvantage of the MRI, however, is that the actual examination itself takes much longer. An examination of the thigh takes about 5 minutes. During the examination, the patient should keep his or her thigh as still as possible so as not to reduce the sharpness of the image. You can find more general information about MRI here.

The conservative treatment

Conservative treatment may be indicated for incomplete tendon ruptures. In this case, the patient is simply given painkillers after the acute event and an attempt is made to remove the hematoma as quickly as possible. However, if the patient wishes to take more exercise, the incomplete rupture should also be treated surgically.

A complete rupture, on the other hand, is always treated surgically – the only exceptions are people who cannot be expected to undergo such an operation due to their state of health, or people who do not necessarily require active stretching of the knee. Those affected can then move their leg again. Although a reduction in strength is retained when the knee is extended, the affected persons can manage their everyday life normally and do not exhibit a disturbed gait pattern.

An orthosis is particularly important in the aftercare of a tendon rupture in order to avoid overstretching or overstressing the sutured tendon. An orthosis is a kind of guide cage for the knee joint. It extends over the thigh and lower leg and helps to keep the knee at a fixed angle.

This prevents the knee from bending too much, which could encourage a renewed rupture. Depending on the orthosis model, the flexion angle of the knee can be adjusted to gradually accustom the tendon to flexion. The angle is then increased at weekly or bi-weekly intervals until approximately preoperative mobility is achieved. A bandage can subsequently increase the stability of the knee somewhat.It can be worn during sports, for example, and in addition to its slight stabilizing effect, it ensures that those affected have a feeling of protection – in other words, it serves as a psychological protection factor at least as well.