Total knee replacement for tricompartmental arthritis in a patient with a below-knee amputation after a previous closing wedge high tibial osteotomy.

This is a report of a 64-year-old man who had undergone a high tibial osteotomy (HTO) 17 years ago of his right knee for medial compartment osteoarthritis; 5 days later, he received a below-knee amputation owing to a missed popliteal artery injury at the time of the HTO. We elected to perform a total knee replacement (TKR) for progressive arthritis of the ipsilateral knee 17 years after the transtibial amputation. Although there is a plethora of literature regarding TKR in the contralateral knee of amputees, there is a paucity of data of TKR in the ipsilateral knee. Using medical search engines including Google Scholar and PubMed, we were only able to identify 4 case reports of TKR in the ipsilateral knee of below-knee amputees. This is the first description in the English literature that has the following rare pathology list: tricompartmental arthritis with a previous closing wedge HTO with a resultant truncated valgus tibia and short transtibial amputation.

Modular fixed-bearing total knee arthroplasty with retention of the posterior cruciate ligament. A study of patients followed for a minimum of fifteen years.

BACKGROUND: There have been a limited number of studies of total knee arthroplasties with durations of follow-up of fifteen years, but we are not aware of any involving modular fixed-bearing posterior cruciate-retaining prostheses. METHODS: A consecutive series of 139 total knee arthroplasties in 109 patients (average age, sixty-seven years), performed by one surgeon using a nonconforming posterior cruciate-retaining prosthesis, was followed for fifteen years or longer. Forty-five patients (fifty-nine knees) were examined at a minimum of fifteen years postoperatively, fifty-seven patients (seventy knees) had died, five patients (eight knees) were too ill to return for assessment, and two patients (two knees) were considered lost to follow-up. The patients were assessed clinically with use of the Knee Society clinical rating system, and the knees were assessed radiographically. Survivorship analysis was performed with use of worst-case-scenario analysis and with failure defined as a reoperation for any reason. RESULTS: There were five reoperations, four of which were performed because of wear of the polyethylene insert. In addition, one loose cemented femoral component was revised at fifteen years. The survival rate without revision or a need for any reoperation was 92.6% at fifteen years. The mean Knee Society score and functional score at fifteen years were 96 and 78 points, respectively. The prevalence of radiolucent lines was 13%, with 2% around the femur, 11% around the tibia, and none around the patella. None of these lines were clinically relevant. There was no evidence of progressive radiolucent lines, and there was one case of asymptomatic femoral osteolysis. CONCLUSIONS: In this single-surgeon series, modular fixed-bearing posterior cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasties had good clinical and radiographic results with excellent survivorship for up to fifteen years. These results are comparable with those in long-term studies of posterior stabilized implants and of prostheses with mobile-bearing and nonmodular tibial inserts.

A simple capsulorrhaphy in a posterior approach for total hip arthroplasty.

In an attempt to decrease a 4% incidence of posterior hip dislocation following a posterior approach, a simple capsulorrhaphy was utilized in 255 consecutive primary total hip arthroplasties performed by 1 surgeon. All patients were reviewed at a minimum of 2 years' postoperatively, and no patient was lost to follow-up. One patient sustained a posterior hip dislocation, whereas there were no anterior hip dislocations. The dislocation rate of 0.4% is equal to or less than the rates of dislocation reported in the literature using other posterior repairs. This technique differs from other reported methods because of its simplicity and ease of repair. Only the capsule (and not the rotators) is sutured to the medius tendon (not to bone), creating an elastic endpoint that is less likely to disrupt during the healing process.

The correction of severe varus deformity in total knee arthroplasty by tibial component downsizing and resection of uncapped proximal medial bone.

The clinical and radiologic outcome of 10 patients (12 knees) with a mean varus deformity of 24 degrees (range, 20 degrees to 40 degrees ) treated with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is presented. We describe a technique of downsizing and lateralizing the tibial component with subsequent removal of the proximal medial tibia flush with the downsized component. At a mean follow-up of 42 months (range, 12 to 64 months), the mean preoperative Knee Society and function scores had improved from 24 and 34 to 94 and 85, respectively, at follow-up. No implant has been revised. At follow-up evaluation, no evidence of osteolysis or radiographic loosening was seen and the mean tibiofemoral angle was 4 degrees of valgus. This technique provides mid-term stable correction and excellent clinical and radiographic results in patients with severe varus deformity.