Knee fusion with external skeletal fixation after an infected hinge prosthesis: a case report

Deep sepsis is a serious postoperative complication of total knee hinge arthroplasty. Measures to eradicate the infection are time-consuming, expensive and often a threat to the limb and occasionally the life of the patient. At best, a successful result is a short leg with an arthrodesed knee. More often the patient is left with a painful fibrous ankylosis, or an above-knee amputation. The Hoffman external skeletal fixation device provides rigid fixation and allows early ambulation. Its use in combination with debridement and bone grafting can result in a successful arthrodesis with a minimum amount of shortening.