Compartment syndrome is a rare complication of total knee arthroplasty that requires early recognition and prompt decompression in order to prevent long-term disability. We have found only one previous case report in the literature. We present a series of seven cases from four hospitals and five surgeons. Six of the cases resulted in the loss of at least one compartment, and one resulted in amputation. Four of the cases resulted in legal action. We suggest that important risk factors contributing to the development of this condition include complex surgery, soft-tissue compromise, previous surgery, and possibly vascular disease. Delay in the diagnosis and hence delay in decompression was common in our series, and in five cases appeared to be related to the use of a postoperative epidural infusion for pain relief. The presence of associated neurological compromise may have also been a significant factor in the delay to diagnosis in two cases.
We describe the first intraprosthetic dislocations of a 22 mm head in a dual mobility hip replacement in the literature. This case emphasises the importance of information gathering and planning when dealing with arthroplasty complications. Furthermore, it highlights the necessity of adequate muscle relaxation and analgesia when dealing with hip dislocations. A 78-year-old patient presented to the emergency department (ED) with a spontaneous dislocation of her left dual-mobility total hip replacement 3 months after first-stage revision surgery for infection. Reduction via manipulation under analgesia was then attempted in the ED but was ultimately unsuccessful; an iatrogenic intraprosthetic dislocation of the polyethylene liner was sustained. Several factors may have contributed to liner dislocation: a failure to appreciate the implant type, multiple manipulations in ED were attempted under analgesia, but no sedation or muscle relaxation was administered to the patient. The patient subsequently underwent revision surgery.
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