Pseudoaneurysm after total knee arthroplasty : A rare complication with different possible clinical presentations


Published online: Feb 27 2013

Ali Boutchichi, Jean Ciornohac, François Daubresse

From the Centre Hospitalier RĂ©gional de Namur, Belgium

Abstract

We report three cases of false aneurysm involving the popliteal artery or one of its branches following total knee replacement. Two of them developed after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and the third one after a revision TKA. False aneurysm is a rare complication of TKA. The main symptom is generally a painful pulsatile mass which develops postoperatively but our cases occurred with three distinct clinical manifestations. Doppler ultrasonographic and angio-CT investigations were used to achieve the correct diagnosis. Two patients were treated by percutaneous embolization ; the third patient required a mini-open surgery with an endovascular prosthesis. No complications were encountered.