Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 5, 2025
Author Spotlight: Double Posteromedial Approach for Treating Posterior Cruciate Ligament Cysts
Published on: October 20, 2023
Difficult Diagnosis of Fungal Arthritis After Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Case Report
Yu Taniguchi1, Akihiro Kanamori, Masashi Yamazaki
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.
Case:
An 18-year-old woman underwent arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) but developed recurrent knee effusion. At age 25 years, her right knee pain worsened, and radiographs revealed extensive bone loss. She was diagnosed with fungal (Candida parapsilosis) osteomyelitis by synovial fluid cultures. She underwent 2-stage surgery involving an amphotericin B-loaded cement spacer implantation and bone defect grafting. No recurrence of infection has been noted for 3 years postoperatively.
Conclusions:
Fungal osteomyelitis may have few signs of local infection and often remains undiagnosed until bone loss occurs. Differential diagnosis should include this disease when there is recurrent knee effusion after ACLR.
