Bilateral adrenal hemorrhage: an unusual complication after bilateral total knee arthroplasty

Total knee arthroplasty is a commonly performed surgical procedure usually associated with excellent improvement in mobility and function and with lessening of pain. Most cases are performed without complication. Complications, when they do occur, are most often associated with deep venous thrombosis and possible pulmonary embolism, infection, prosthetic failure or loosening, or neurovascular complications. This article presents a case report of an unusual, but serious, complication, bilateral adrenal hemorrhage, occurring in the postoperative, rehabilitative phase after what seemed to be successful bilateral knee arthroplasties in an 83-yr-old woman.