Hip Fusion Takedown with Subsequent Hip and Knee Arthroplasty. Case Study

There is no uniform standard of treatment for patients with hip fusion and accompanying symptomatic osteoarthritis of the ipsilateral knee. Fusion takedown is associated with an increased risk of complications, and often the results are not satisfactory for patients. Therefore, each case should be considered individually. We present a case report regarding a 70-year-old patient with hip fusion as a result of tuberculosis at a young age who underwent hip fusion takedown with total hip arthroplasty followed by total knee arthroplasty as a second step. The 70-year-old patient with end-stage renal failure and hip fusion as a complication of tuberculosis in adolescence complained of increasing pain in the left knee. After taking into account his comorbidities and discussing with the patient possible treatment options and their limitations, he was qualified for 2-step surgery involving hip replacement and total knee replacement spaced 5 months apart. At the last follow-up visit the patient did not report any pain, with a hip joint mobility of 110° flexion and -10° extension and internal and external rotation of 35° each. The range of knee flexion was 110°. On a VAS scale, the patient's quality of life was rated 85/100 vs. 30/100 preoperatively. In patients with hip fusion, satisfactory results can be achieved with 2-stage hip and knee replacement, even despite significant co-morbidities. However, this requires careful intraoperative planning and management of patient expectations.