[Traumatic dislocation of the knee treated by early surgical repair (author's transl)]

The authors have treated twelve traumatic dislocations of the knee. Three were treated conservatively with one satisfactory result. Nine were treated by early surgical repair with seven satisfactory results. The technique of ligamentous repair is described. The authors emphasise the frequency and severity of associated vessel and nerve damage. They found acute lesions of the popliteal artery in five cases, three of which had to be operated upon immediately with arterial suture or graft. In one case, ischaemia appeared four days after dislocation and the thrombosed artery was repaired by a venous graft. In one case a lesion of the lateral popliteal nerve which did not recover was treated by palliative surgery. In one case, secondary skin necrosis was treated by skin flap transplantation using micro-surgical technique with a satisfactory result. It is concluded that ligamentous and vascular repairs should be undertaken at the same procedure after arteriography.