Total hip and knee replacement in a patient with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita

Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) is a complex disorder that leads to joint stiffness and deformities in 2 or more joints in afflicted children. Late manifestations of this disorder can include secondary degeneration of the abnormal joints with arthritic symptoms of pain and loss of function. There are few reports in the orthopedic literature on the use of total joint arthroplasty to improve the pain and function in patients with arthrogryposis. This case report presents one patient who underwent bilateral total hip and total knee arthroplasties for deteriorating function and pain in her hips and knees secondary to the congenital deformities created by arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. We discuss the intraoperative difficulties and techniques used to reconstruct her hips and knees, as well as the potential indications for joint arthroplasty in this challenging group of patients.