title: Periprosthetic supracondylar femur fracture treated with spanning external fixation.
abstract: Periprosthetic supracondylar fractures of the femur after total knee arthroplasty represent a devastating complication for the patient and a technical challenge for the surgeon. Treatment is often complicated by advanced patient age, retained cement, and accompanying osteoporosis. We present the case of a 54-year-old woman with a comminuted fracture of the distal femur just above a total knee prosthesis. She had a complex past medical history, including extensive coronary artery disease, morbid obesity, chronic osteoporosis, anemia, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. She was a Jehovah's Witness and thus refused all blood products. Given her medical history, religious preferences, and fracture comminution, a spanning external fixator was used. She completed fracture union with an excellent clinical and radiographic result at 2 years.
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA. moerefaat@gmail.com.
authors: Motasem
authors: M
authors: Refaat
authors: Sheldon
authors: S
authors: Coleman
authors: John P
authors: JP
authors: Meehan
authors: Amir A
authors: AA
authors: Jamali
mesh_terms: D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000009:adverse effects; D016267:External Fixators; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005592:Fracture Fixation; D018460:Fractures, Comminuted / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D057068:Periprosthetic Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography