Following a twisting knee injury, a radiograph of a 24-year-old man shows a small curvilinear avulsion fragment from the lateral margin of the lateral tibial condyle. This finding is significant because it is strongly associated with:

• A Isolated medial meniscal tear
• B Patellar tendon rupture
• C Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament ✓
• D Osteochondritis dissecans of the lateral femoral condyle

Explanation

The Segond fracture is an avulsion of the mid-third lateral capsular ligament from the lateral tibial plateau and is highly specific for anterior cruciate ligament rupture, reported in a large proportion of acute ACL tears. It results from internal rotation and varus stress. An isolated medial meniscal tear does not produce this avulsion, patellar tendon rupture injures the extensor apparatus at the knee front, and OCD affects the subchondral bone of the condyle itself.

Reference: Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, 10th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.