Objective:

To evaluate the clinical outcomes of two cannulated screw tension-band fixation techniques combined with cerclage fixation for displaced patellar fractures.

Approach:

• Study Design: A retrospective study comparing two groups: Group I with modified cross cannulated screws tension band and cerclage fixation, and Group II with parallel cannulated screws tension band and cerclage fixation.
• Data Collection: Baseline data, intraoperative variables, fracture healing status, complications, and Böstman scores were compared between the two groups.

Key Findings:

• All patients in both groups achieved bony union.
• No significant differences were found in incision length, hospital stay, fracture healing time, or complications between the two groups.
• Group I had higher operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and fluoroscopy times compared to Group II.
• Böstman scores improved significantly at 6 months post-surgery for both groups, with no significant difference between them.

Interpretation:

Both cannulated screw tension band techniques combined with cerclage fixation achieved bony union in all cases.

Limitations:

• Retrospective study design may introduce bias.
• Comparison is based on fracture morphology, not a direct head-to-head superiority analysis.

Conclusion:

The cross screw insertion method can be considered when fracture comminution makes parallel screw placement difficult.