Arthroscopic shaving of a hematoma after total knee arthroplasty

A large hematoma in the immediate postoperative period after total knee arthroplasty may result in wound breakdown and skin necrosis, leading to a delay in recovery or prosthetic infection and failure. Needle aspiration is ineffective because of the viscous nature of the hematoma. This is the first report of the use of an arthroscopic shaver to evacuate such a hematoma in an 81-year-old woman 6 days after a primary total knee arthroplasty. This allowed for immediate pain relief, early mobilization, and primary wound healing.