Baker's pseudocyst in the prosthetic knee affected with aggressive granulomatosis caused by polyethylene wear

It is our belief that this is the first histologically documented case of popliteal cyst secondary to early failure of a cementless knee prosthesis, that occurred after 4 years. The walls of the cyst presented with granulomatous reaction to polyethylene particles. In prosthetic reimplantation successive to excision of the cyst we observed a recurrence of cysts and osteointegration of the prosthetic components, that made reimplantation difficult. Histological assessment of the synovial tissue, periprosthetic tissue and underlying bone showed granulomatous reaction to polyethylene debris. A "tumor" in a patient that has a knee prosthesis can be caused by implant failure. In cases of early failure wear forms large particles and their migration at the bone-prosthesis interface may be obstructed and thus cause a different biological response. If reimplantation is necessary osteointegration of the implants may make surgery difficult.