[Arthroscopic removal of an intraarticular projectile from the knee].

OBJECTIVE

We present the case of a patient who sustained a gunshot wound; the projectile was located in the knee and was arthroscopically removed.

CLINICAL CASE: A 31 year-old patient sustained a gunshot wound in the right thigh, right hand and left knee. X-rays revealed the presence of a projectile in the knee, thigh and hand. The projectile was arthroscopically removed.

DISCUSSION: Traumas causing articular wounds of the knee are infrequent. Excluding the most frequent causes of articular wounds, a small percentage of them are due to gunshot wounds. There is consensus around arthroscopy as a technique useful to remove articular foreign bodies; it has advantages over open surgery. This procedure minimizes surgical morbidity, reduces the risk of septic arthritis, synovitis, arthropathy or systemic lead toxicity, and it also hastens the patient's functional recovery. Knee arthroscopy allows physicians to provide a definitive treatment of these injuries, explore the joint, diagnose associated injuries and perform debridement and articular lavage.

CONCLUSION

Arthroscopy is an effective tool for the extraction of articular projectiles; it also allows diagnosing and treating associated lesions.