Tendon Transfers for Knee Extension Following Femoral Nerve Injury After Hip Arthroplasty

Abstract

Femoral nerve injury is a rare but devastating complication of direct anterior approach total hip arthroplasty that occurs in about 1% of the cases and could potentially lead to debilitating loss of knee extension. In this case report, we present a case of femoral nerve injury following direct anterior approach hip arthroplasty with an inability to extend the affected knee, gait instability, and multiple falls. For this patient, an innovative functional adductor magnus muscle transfer was performed to restore knee extension. At 6 months after surgery, the patient’s knee extension was partly restored, and ambulation was significantly improved.

Keywords

• Nerve injury
• Muscle transfer
• Orthopaedic surgery
• Plastic surgery
• Neurosurgery