Stress Fracture of the Lateral Femoral Condyle after Total Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND

This is to assess one of the rare complications after total knee replacement and to assess risk factors of failure.

METHODS

11 patients with varus knee and an average age of 67 years underwent TKA between 2005 and 2013. All patients returned with a sudden sharp knee pain, disability to walk and significant decrease in ROM about 4 to 8 weeks after surgery. Radiographic examination revealed a lateral femoral condylar stress fracture.

RESULTS

After analyzing the images, we found common characteristics among all patients, which might be attributable to the later fracture including varus deformity>25, femoral component lateralization, and valgus correction.

CONCLUSION

Surgeons should be aware of the risk factors to consider before, during, and after surgery.