Knee osteonecrosis due to lead poisoning: case report and review of the literature.
BACKGROUND
Though rare, a relationship between toxic heavy-metal accumulation and bone necrosis exists.


METHODS
A 28-year-old man suffered from chronic bilateral knee pain accompanied by muscle fibrillations and night cramps. On examiniation he presented tenderness and mild quadriceps muscle atrophy, but unaffected range of movement, sensation, and tendon reflexes and no effuision. He also complained of blurred vision, lethargy, and tremor.


CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of these data it appeared that these infarcts were attributable to lead poisoning. This situation has not been described in the knee region, but finrther clarification of a possible causal relationship between toxic trace element concentration and idiopathic bone necrosis appears necessary.
Kazakos
Konstantinos
K
Department of Orthopaedics, Democritus University of Thrace Medical School, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
Chatzipapas
Christos
C
Xarchas
Konstantinos C
KC
Mantatzis
Michael
M
Tilkeridis
Konstantinos
K
Galanis
Vasilios
V
Verettas
Dionisios A
DA
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D010020:Osteonecrosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*