Type III fracture of the tibial tubercle with avulsion of the tibialis anterior muscle in the adolescent male athlete

INTRODUCTION: Type III fracture of the tibial tubercle by Watson-Jones, or type IIIa injury according to John Ogden's classification has been well described and its management is now well codified in standard orthopaedic textbooks. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors present a case of type III fracture of the tibial tubercle associated with an avulsion of the tibialis anterior muscle. RESULTS: We demonstrated the effectiveness of bioabsorbable material for fixing the fracture preventing the need for removal of metalware, and that the anterior tibialis muscle had been stripped by the injury. CONCLUSION: A displaced type III fracture of the tibial tubercle may have an associated with avulsion of the tibialis anterior muscle, particularly in adolescent athletes. Prompt recognition and appropriate surgical treatment can give an excellent outcome.