title: Revision total knee arthroplasty: planning, management, and controversies.
abstract: The number of total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) performed annually in the United States is increasing exponentially. Even with modest annual revision rates, the number of patients requiring revision knee surgery will increase in a similar fashion. It is therefore important to have a systematic approach dealing with a patient presenting with a painful TKA. The treating physician must be able to recognize a variety of failure patterns and treat them accordingly. Surgical exploration in the absence of a definable cause is rarely successful and should be avoided. The ability to plan and execute a complex revision TKA is a challenging and rewarding aspect of adult reconstructive surgery. Commonly encountered mechanisms of failure are identified and a stepwise approach to the surgical management of these conditions is presented.
authors.affiliation: Ortho Carolina Hip and Knee Center, Ortho Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Fehring
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Christie
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lavernia
authors.forename: J Bohannon
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: McAuley
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.forename: Bryan D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Springer
mesh_terms: D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation / Q000379:methods*; D017211:Treatment Failure