Painful stress fractures of the fabella in patients with total knee arthroplasty.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to document a distinct pattern of stress fractures in the fabella of patients with total knee replacement and to call attention to this unusual complication that causes knee pain in postoperative patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Stress fractures involving the fabella can be a clinically important entity in the patient with persistent or new knee pain after total knee arthroplasty. Scrutiny of radiographs, when coupled with clinical information, allows correct diagnosis of this potentially debilitating injury in symptomatic postoperative patients.
Theodorou
Stavroula J
SJ
Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, CA, USA.
Theodorou
Daphne J
DJ
Resnick
Donald
D
D000368:Aged; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015775:Fractures, Stress / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012716:Sesamoid Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*