Avulsion Fracture

This is a fracture that occurs at the attachment sites of both ligaments and bone pulls away from the attachment site of the soft tissue.

Causes

• Twisting or rotational injury of a joint.
• Sports that involve high impact, jumping

Common avulsion fracture sites include

• Rectus femoris muscle from the pelvis
• Hamstring muscle from the pelvis
• Lateral ligaments in the ankle
• ACL in the knee
• Peroneal tendon in the foot

Pain and Symptoms

Symptoms can include some or all of the following:

• Pain is usually quite severe in and around the area of injury
• Usually very tender over the area of injury
• Often will have trouble weight bearing if it is a lower limb avulsion

Diagnosis

Plain X-ray will usually show up the avulsion

Treatment

This depends on the site of the injury and the nature of the fracture. It requires a medical opinion. Physiotherapy can ensure that recovery is optimised after fracture healing through an exercise program.