| Sumario: | The total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was performed in a 68-year-old female patient who had been followed up with the diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis. The operated knee got infected during follow up. The infection became resistant and caused soft tissue necrosis and insufficiency of extensor mechanism in spite of the debridement of the wound, antibiotic treatment and insert change. As a salvage procedure, prosthesis was removed and the knee arthrodesis with external Ilizarov fixator was performed. One week after, the soft tissue defect which was secondary to necrosis was closed with a split thickness skin graft. The bones fused at the fifteenth week. The patient was able to walk without assistance and there was no evidence of infection. infected total knee arthroplasty is one of the most difficult problems that an orthopedic surgeon may encounter. A number of treatment modalities have been proposed for the infected total knee arthroplasty so far. Knee arthrodesis with external fixator might be an effective treatment option for regaining the functions and restoration alignments of extremities in the patients with severe knee arthroplasty pproblmes complicated with infection. This case report can be a good example of satisfactory outcome and an effective approach to the resistant and complicated cases of TKA with co-morbid conditions.
|