Complications of total knee arthroplasty

Abstract

Several complications have been described after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) that could being about the failure of the surgery. Since infection after TKA is a severe complication, we should do our best to reduce its incidence. Prevention together with early diagnosis and treatment are key to successfully managing TKA infections. It is vital to have an in-depth knowledge of the risk factors that may be involved so as to be able to correctly prevent and, if needed, manage the condition. The gold standard today for deep chronic infection in TKA is two-stage revision arthroplasty combined with intravenous antibiotics. Knee prosthesis instability is an abnormal and excessive displacement of the articular elements that lead to clinical failure of the arthroplasty and is one of the most common causes of aseptic failure following TKA. Succesful outcomes can be obtained in many of these cases, but without identifying the cause of instability, the surgeon risks repeating the mistakes that led to the instability after the initial TKA. In severely unstable TKAs surgical revision arthroplasty is usually required. Other important complications are in-hospital mortality rate, vascular injury, nerve injury, iatrogenic medial collateral ligament injury during TKA, and postoperative knee stiffness. © 2012 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.