An Unusual Presentation of Delayed Hemarthrosis Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report

Vascular complications following Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) are rare but can be potentially life-threatening. This case report describes a rare vascular complication after an elective TKA that was successfully managed with minimally invasive interventional radiology.

We describe the case of a 79-year-old hypertensive male who underwent a left elective primary cemented TKA. 10 days postoperatively, he presented with acute-onset pain and swelling of his left knee, lower thigh, and calf. An initial ultrasound scan ruled out deep vein thrombosis but demonstrated a large organized hematoma anterior to the femur with no active bleeding. Due to persistent pain and swelling, the patient underwent an arthroscopic washout and evacuation of the hematoma. Post-procedure, he developed recurrent knee hemarthrosis. Repeat ultrasound scan and angiography revealed the formation of a pseudoaneurysm due to active bleeding from the superior medial genicular artery. This was successfully managed with fluoroscopic embolization. At the final follow-up of 1 year, the patient was pain-free and had a good knee range of motion. He had made excellent progress in terms of daily living and quality of life.

Pseudoaneurysms of the superior medial genicular artery are extremely rare complications following TKA. They can present as painful and recurrent hemarthrosis and can be effectively managed with minimally invasive interventional radiology, avoiding the complications and morbidity of traditional open repair.