Spontaneous iliopsoas tendon rupture: a case report and brief review

[Avulsion injuries of the adductors and iliopsoas]

Avulsion injuries of the tendon-bone junction of the adductor longus are rare. Avulsions of the iliopsoas tendon insertion on the lesser trochanter are even rarer. Avulsion injuries of the adductor insertion occur predominantly in active athletes. Iliopsoas tendon avulsions are described mainly in nonathletes, in old age and frequently with no triggering event. In these cases possible underlying pathologies (e.g. tumor or metastases in the lesser trochanter) must be ruled out. In the literature no generally accepted recommendations for treatment of these injuries can be found because only a few retrospective anecdotal case reports and case studies have been published. For this reason, it is mostly unclear if and when a conservative or operative approach is indicated.A PubMed/Medline literature search resulted in 86 articles for iliopsoas avulsions and 155 hits for adductor tendon avulsions. Accordingly, both injuries can basically be treated conservatively. A surgical treatment is recommended only occasionally when conservative treatment fails and when the adductor insertion or the apophysis of the lesser trochanter is dislocated more than 2 cm after avulsion. Reinsertion for adductor longus tendon avulsion injuries is usually performed by open repair using various anchor systems, while extensive avulsion injuries or non-unions of the apophysis of the lesser trochanter are treated by refixation by cannulated screw systems or resection and anchor refixation of the tendon. The postoperative outcome in most cases is described as good or very good (excellent). No major complications were reported in both groups.