Painful suprapatellar swelling

Management of an Unusual Post-arthroscopic Complication: Subquadricipital Hematoma in the Presence of Complete Suprapatellar Plica

“…During the rearthroscopy, after perforation and resection of complete suprapatellar plica, we could not obtain any hemorrhagic material but only after having shaved and perforated the anterior wall of suprapatellar cavity hemorrhagic content drained in a flash inside the joint cavity. In this case, the complete suprapatellar plica was complicated by a hematoma located in the extra-articular location, not in the suprapatellar pouch as in previous reports [7,8,15,16]. Unlike these reports, only in our case, the symptoms occurred after arthroscopy.…”

“…The incidence of complete suprapatellar plica has been reported to be 4-20% during routine arthroscopic surgery [3,19]. While the incidence of pathological complete suprapatellar plica is unclear, isolated synovial fluid accumulation, bursitis, chondrocalcinosis, and osteochondromatosis in the suprapatellar pouch due to the complete plica have been reported in previous publications [7,8,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. In this case, as well, MRI images disclosed an isolated collection in the suprapatellar pouch, separated from the joint cavity by the complete suprapatellar plica.…”

“…Complete suprapatellar plicae can also present as a mass lesion, less frequently mentioned in several case reports [7,8,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. These cases usually appeared after minimal trauma or spontaneously.…”

Bursae around the knee joints

“…Failure of regression of the transverse septum formed in embryonic life between the suprapatellar plica and the knee joint fluid leads to the formation of this bursa. [8] Accumulation of fluid in this bursa leads to bursitis. It may be found incidentally [Figure 5] or, when large and loculated, it may present as a mass above the knee joint.…”