title: Amputation after failed total knee arthroplasty.
abstract: From 1983 to 1992, nine above-knee amputations were performed in eight patients for complications after total knee arthroplasty. The mean time from the initial knee replacement to amputation was 9.7 years. The average age of the four men and four women was 72 years. Eight knees had chronic infection and one had intractable pain after four revision attempts for aseptic loosening. Most patients had two revision arthroplasties after the original implant. In this series, the common factors that lead to amputation were multiple revision attempts in the presence of chronic infection, severe bone loss, and intractable pain. Earlier consideration of arthrodesis rather than multiple revision attempts is recommended to avoid such a poor outcome.
authors.affiliation: Joseph Barnhart Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030.
authors.forename: Z U
authors.initials: ZU
authors.lastname: Isiklar
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Landon
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Tullos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007720:Knee Prosthesis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure