Intragrade intramedullary nailing of an open tibial shaft fracture in a patient with concomitant ipsilateral total knee arthroplasty.

Open tibial shaft fracture occurring below an ipsilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a unique injury pattern that presents an additional degree of complexity to an already challenging treatment algorithm. Tibial shaft fracture is a surgical emergency requiring respect for the soft-tissue envelope and consideration of the biomechanical and biologic factors involved in healing. Treatment with an intramedullary nail relative to other types of internal or external fixation methods optimizes these factors and minimizes the risks of nonunion, malunion, infection, soft-tissue compromise, and reoperation, which are prevalent after this fracture. However, tibial shaft fracture associated with an ipsilateral TKA complicates standard treatment principles and increases the risks after surgery. In many instances, this type of injury pattern in a patient with medical comorbidities that would impede fracture and wound healing would make a limb amputation the preferred method of treatment. However, in this case report, we examine treatment options for an open tibial shaft fracture in the setting of an ipsilateral TKA and propose a method of limb salvage in a patient with medical comorbidities sustaining this injury pattern.