A G Rothwell — Page 2 | Search PubMed

A prospective study of 60 patients with quadriceps hematomas was carried out in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the pathogenesis, characteristics, and morbidity of this condition, including those patients in whom ossification occurs. The patients ranged in age from 15 to 25 years; thirty-six were injured playing rugby football. The knee was the most common site. In ten patients heterotopic ossification developed. The three phases of management are rest, knee mobilization, and restoration of quadriceps function. The average hospitalization period in the 28 inpatients was eight days. The average time away from work in the 40 employed patients was four weeks. Both hospitalization and disability times were greater in those patients in whom ossification developed. 99m-Technetium-diphosphonate scanning, carried out in ten patients, was useful for determining the site and size of the bleed. The study has elucidated the epidemiology and morbidity and has been successfully used in an education program. Investigations to determine the localization of the hematoma and to predict ossification were unsuccessful.

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