TITLE:
Sociodemographic Profile, Risk Factors, and Mechanisms of Traumatic Extensor Mechanism Tendon Ruptures of the Knee: A 10-Year Multi-Centre Cohort in Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Armand Collins Ewole Ella, Marc Leroy Guifo, Pius Fokam, Stephane Eric Eya Mvondo, Adrien Mounchili Yongho, Ngaroua Ngaroua
KEYWORDS:
Quadriceps Tendon, Patellar Tendon, Rupture, Epidemiology, Road Traffic Accident, Cameroon
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Clinical Diagnostics,
Vol.16 No.4,
November
10,
2026
ABSTRACT: Background: Traumatic rupture of the knee extensor mechanism—quadriceps tendon, patella, and patellar tendon—is uncommon, with an annual incidence of approximately 1.37 per 100,000 for isolated quadriceps tendon injury. Epidemiological data from sub-Saharan Africa remain sparse. Purpose: To describe the sociodemographic profile, behavioural risk factors, mechanisms of injury, and anatomic pattern of traumatic knee extensor mechanism ruptures in a Cameroonian multi-centre cohort. Methods: A 10-year hospital-based cohort (1 January 2013-31 December 2022) was conducted across three hospitals in Yaoundé and one in Douala. Of 43 files screened, 32 met inclusion criteria. Recorded variables included age, sex, profession, comorbidities, toxicological habits, sporting activity level, mechanism of injury, tendon involved, extent of tear, laterality, and associated injuries. Analyses used Epi Info v7, SPSS v23, and Microsoft Excel. Results: Mean age was 45.3 ± 16.9 years (range 13 - 72), with a male predominance (sex ratio 5.4:1). Businessmen accounted for 22.6% of cases with recorded occupation (7/31). Chronic comorbidities were present in 40.6%; 25% were smokers; 18.75% consumed alcohol. Falls were the most frequent mechanism of injury (13/32, 40.63%), predominantly in patients over 50 years, followed by road traffic accidents—all motorcycle-related (10/32, 31.25%)—and sporting activity (9/32, 28.13%). The left knee was affected in 54.8%, and the patellar tendon was more frequently affected than the quadriceps tendon (ratio 1.4:1). Associated injuries were present in 31.25% of patients. Conclusion: In Cameroon, extensor ruptures predominantly affect working-age men. Low-energy falls were the leading mechanism overall, while motorcycle-related RTAs not involving sport were the leading high-energy mechanism, particularly among patients aged 30 - 45 years. These findings differ from North American and European series, in which sport is dominant, and emphasise the need for targeted road-safety interventions in sub-Saharan Africa.