Paget's disease of bone: orthopedic complications

Orthopedic complications of Paget's disease are among the most common indications for treatment of Paget's disease. These complications include severe bone pain, joint pain, skeletal deformity, pathological fracture, and rarely malignant degeneration. The use of effective pharmacological modalities has transformed the treatment of Paget's disease in the past four decades. Although few patients with Paget's disease ever require surgical therapy, successful surgical management of severe orthopedic complications has improved the quality of life for many sufferers. Selected modalities with promising results include total hip replacement for intractable pagetic arthritis of the hip, proximal tibial osteotomy for painful malalignment of the knees, total knee replacement for intractable arthritis of the knee, and internal fixation for pathological fracture. Common surgical complications of joint replacement include infection, hemorrhage, heterotopic ossification, and aseptic loosening. The medical, surgical, and rehabilitation modalities available in managing primary and secondary orthopedic complications of Paget's disease provide a wide array of options that must be carefully considered in each patient.