Delayed Arterial Occlusion Presenting as Foot Drop Following Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty in a Varus Knee: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

We present a 69-year-old male with osteoarthritis of a varus mechanically aligned left knee that developed delayed arterial thrombosis after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) requiring stenting and subsequent trans-metatarsal amputation. This case is unique since initial presentation involved neurologic instead of ischemic changes. We also performed a literature review of arterial injuries in primary TKA. This case highlights the importance of maintaining a high clinical suspicion for vascular insult in patients undergoing correction of varus malalignment with initial complaints of neurologic dysfunction.

Keywords

• varus knee
• total knee arthroplasty
• vascular
• arterial injury