Combined trauma laparotomy and endovascular repair of thoracic aortic injury.

disease, either singly or together, seem to provide suitable conditions for rupture. As yet it is impossible to predict which patients with SLE will develop this problem, and still unknown whether a recent exacerbation of SLE disposes tendons to rupture. Patellar tendon rupture is increasingly recognized, with many spontaneous ruptures in patients with SLE reported. Bilateral patellar and simultaneous patellar and quadriceps tendon ruptures have been described. To our knowledge, this is the first case in the literature of a patient with SLE who developed laxity of the patellar tendon and was managed surgically before it went on to rupture. The new surgical technique we described was very successful, and the patient returned to his regular, unrestricted activities.