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General Orthopaedics

Rotatory Dislocation of the Rotating Platform of a Posterior-Stabilized Mobile-Bearing Total Knee Arthroplasty

International Society for Technology in Arthroplasty (ISTA) 2012 Annual Congress



Abstract

The posterior-stabilized knee prosthesis is designed specifically to provide the posterior stability to a knee arthroplasty when PCL is deficient or has to be sacrificed. Posterior dislocation of such prosthesis is rare but dreaded complication. There are several causes of postoperative dislocation such as malposition of the prosthesis, preoperative valgus deformity, a defect of the extensor mechanism and overwidening of the flexion gap. Posterior-stabilized rotating-platform mobile-bearing knee implants have been widely used to further improve the postoperative range of motion by incorporation of the post and cam mechanism to improve the posterior roll back during flexion and to overcome the wear and osteolysis problems due to significant undersurface micromotion of posterior-stabilized fixed-bearing knees. But, spin-out or rotatory dislocation of the polyethylene insert can occurs as result of excessive rotation of the rotating platform accompanied by translation of the femur on the tibia after mobile-bearing total knee arthroplasty, but that is very rare. Here, authors describe an unusual case of acute 180° rotatory dislocation of the rotating platform after posterior dislocation of a posterior-stabilized mobile-bearing total knee arthroplasty.

A 71-year-old male with knee osteoarthritis underwent a TKRA using posterior-stabilized mobile-bearing prosthesis. The posterior dislocation of the total knee arthroplasty occurred 5 weeks postoperatively(Fig. 1). We underwent closed reduction of posterior dislocated total knee arthroplasty resulting in a complete 180° rotatory dislocation of the rotating platform (Fig. 2). He was treated with open exploration and polyethylene exchange with a larger component.

This case illustrates that dislocation of a posterior-stabilized mobile-bearing total knee arthroplasty can occur with valgus laxity, cause 90° spin-out of the polyethylene insert and closed reduction attempts may contribute to complete 180° rotatory dislocation of the rotating platform. Special attention needs to be paid to both AP and lateral view to ensure that the platform is truly reduced and not just rotated 180° as was in this case.