Ultrasound Diagnosis of Osteophytic Impingement of the Popliteus Tendon After Total Knee Replacement.

We report our experience with 6 patients who had total knee replacements with lateral-sided knee pain, referred for ultrasound (US) assessment and US-guided injection. All cases showed an osteophyte within the popliteus sulcus of the lateral femoral condyle impinging on the adjacent tendon. Five of 6 patients reported improvement of symptoms immediately after US-guided injection of an anesthetic and a steroid. Ultrasound has a unique role in the imaging of knee replacements because of its real-time capabilities and absence of artifacts at the popliteus tendon origin.