Test yourself
Quadriceps tendon: follow it to the patella
4 questions. Pick an answer to see whether you are right and why. Your score appears at the end.
Question 1Where does a quadriceps tendon rupture usually occur?
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Answer b. Most quadriceps tendon ruptures occur close to the top of the patella. A tear at the inferior pole involves the patellar tendon instead.
Question 2How do you make a quadriceps tendon tear easier to see?
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Answer d. Gentle flexion pulls the torn ends apart, so a true full-thickness gap opens. A partial tear or anisotropy does not open.
Question 3The distal quadriceps tendon looks dark at one angle but fibrillar when you rock the probe. What is it?
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Answer d. Tendons look dark when the beam is not perpendicular to the fibres. Fibres that light up when you change the angle are intact.
Question 4An older patient fell, cannot straight-leg raise, and has a gap in the quadriceps tendon above the patella. What do you do?
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Answer c. A complete quadriceps rupture needs early surgical repair. Delay makes repair harder and outcomes worse.
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Four or five delegates per instructor, FAMUS-accredited faculty and long, supervised time on the probe.
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