Complications after total knee arthroplasty: a comprehensive report

In most reports of complications following TKA, the method of assessment and report of complications is not defined specifically. It is thus unclear whether certain complications did not occur or were simply not assessed at all. A detailed list of possible complications following TKA was developed, and the occurence of complications in 567 primary TKAs was followed up meticulously according to this list for one year postoperatively. The proportion of knees with complications was 23.6%. A revision operation was performed in 5.6%. The most frequent complication was delayed wound healing. Only a worldwide accepted standard list of well-defined complications will allow comparison of future studies on complications in TKA. For purposes of quality control, the amount of detail recorded must be weighed carefully against its practical value.