Adverse Local Tissue Reaction Secondary to Corrosion at Multiple Junctions in a Modular, Segmental, Distal Femoral Replacement

Abstract

While adverse local tissue reactions are well described in the total hip arthroplasty literature, there have only been case reports and case series in the total knee arthroplasty literature. There have been no cases described in the setting of a distal femoral replacement. In this case, we describe a 69-year-old female with a complex history of left knee revision arthroplasty with a distal femoral and proximal tibial replacement who presented with left knee pain and was found to have extensive adverse local tissue reaction with corrosion at the femoral stem-extension piece junction and the extension piece-distal femoral component junction. The femoral taper was then manually cleaned and modular components replaced. Corrosion at the stem-distal femoral component junction can result in adverse local tissue reaction in patients with distal femoral replacements. It is important to consider this diagnosis when evaluating patients with knee pain following distal femoral replacement.