title: Arthrodesis of the knee using cannulated screws.
abstract: We retrospectively evaluated eight patients who underwent arthrodesis of the knee using cannulated screws. There were six women and two men, with a mean age of 53 years. The indications for arthrodesis were failed total knee arthroplasty, septic arthritis, tuberculosis, and recurrent persistent infection. Solid union was achieved in all patients at a mean of 6.1 months. One patient required autogenous bone graft for delayed union. One suffered skin necrosis which was treated with skin grafting. The mean limb-length discrepancy was 3.1 cm. On a visual analogue scale, the mean pain score improved from 7.9 to 3.3. According to the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome score quality of life items, the mean score improved from 38.3 pre-operatively to 76.6 at follow-up. Cannulated screws provide a high rate of union in arthrodesis of the knee with minimal complications, patient convenience, and a simple surgical technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Guro Hospital, 80 Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703, Korea.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Hur
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001174:Arthrodesis / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D001863:Bone Screws; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint; D007720:Knee Prosthesis; D007870:Leg Length Inequality / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome