Popliteal artery occlusion concomitant with a tibial plateau fracture and posterior cruciate ligament avulsion fracture

Abstract

In acute trauma, posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury may occur concomitantly with a bony fracture and be easily overlooked. A popliteal artery injury associated with a tibial plateau fracture and PCL avulsion fracture is rare. Missed or delayed diagnosis of this condition leads to a high amputation rate. Therefore, close attention is required with this type of injury. The limb can be saved though early detection and immediate reconstruction of the injured artery, followed by fasciotomy. We report here a rare case of popliteal artery occlusion proximal to the surgical zone, which was diagnosed after fixation of a medial tibial plateau fracture and posterior cruciate avulsion injury. In dashboard injuries without knee dislocation, the arterial intima may be injured and become vulnerable, even with an initial ankle brachial index greater than 0.9. This can cause concomitant occlusion of the popliteal artery due to iatrogenic retraction during surgery. Therefore, a neurovascular examination should be repeated to prevent delayed-onset thrombosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of popliteal artery injury concomitant with a tibial plateau fracture and PCL avulsion owing to initial dashboard injury-related arterial intima injury, which can present with a normal ankle brachial index.