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Polyethylene post failure in posterior stabilized total knee arthroplasty
Henry D Clarke1, Kevin R Math, Giles R Scuderi
1Insall Scott Kelly Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, New York, NY 10128, USA.
The Journal of Arthroplasty
|July 31, 2004
Summary
Posterior-stabilized prostheses in total knee arthroplasty can rarely fail catastrophically. This case report details a polyethylene post fracture and its diagnosis using computed tomography arthrography.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Biomaterials Science
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Posterior-stabilized (PS) prostheses are widely used in total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
- These implants feature a cam-post mechanism for stability and femoral rollback.
- While polyethylene wear is known, catastrophic post failure is rare.
Observation:
- A 56-year-old woman experienced acute fracture of the polyethylene post 63 months after TKA.
- The patient presented with symptoms indicative of implant failure.
Findings:
- The study highlights a rare instance of catastrophic failure in a PS prosthesis.
- Computed tomography arthrography was utilized for diagnosis, a previously unreported method for this specific complication.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of considering rare failure modes in TKA.
- Advanced imaging techniques like CT arthrography may be crucial for diagnosing uncommon implant failures.
- Understanding catastrophic post failure can inform future implant design and patient management.