Grimm Nathan L, Henderson Robert A, Kavolus Joseph J, Millikan Patrick D, Lachiewicz Paul F
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
Arthroplast Today. 2016 Feb 26;2(2):45-47. doi: 10.1016/j.artd.2016.01.005. eCollection 2016 Jun.
A 62-year-old man presented with the acute, atraumatic onset of pain 3 years after uncemented right total knee arthroplasty. He complained of new mechanical locking with the knee held in extension on examination and unable to flex the knee. On the plain radiographs, the patellar component peg was fractured and the plate was dislocated. The knee was immobilized, and revision to a cemented 3-peg component was performed. Fracture of a single-peg, tantalum-backed uncemented patellar component has not been described. Clinical suspicion for this should be given in the setting of acute locking. We recommend revision with a cemented polyethylene component.