Abstract
We report a rare case of late knee locking after an open knee injury in a polytrauma patient with a pelvic fracture and a contralateral femoral artery injury. Once the life and limb threatening injuries were addressed, debridement and washout of the knee wound was performed. X-rays and subsequent CT revealed only an undisplaced patella fracture. The patient presented 6 months later to a knee surgeon with recurrent locking. An arthroscopy was performed and a 10 mm plastic soft drink bottle cap was retrieved leading to the immediate resolution of symptoms without complications.Open knee injuries require thorough debridement washout and joint assessment. Late locking should raise the suspicion of an intra-articular loose or foreign body. Arthroscopy is an excellent first line tool in the diagnosis and late management of this unusual problem.
Highlights
Mechanical locking symptoms in the knee are a common presenting complaint to arthroscopic knee surgeons
This is almost always accompanied by a clear history of penetrating trauma to the knee, and this combined with radiographs often identifies the nature and location of the foreign body
We report a case of a plastic bottle cap causing late knee locking after an open knee injury which was successfully identified and removed by arthroscopy
Summary
Introduction Mechanical locking symptoms in the knee are a common presenting complaint to arthroscopic knee surgeons. Knee locking can be due to the presence of a foreign body. This is almost always accompanied by a clear history of penetrating trauma to the knee, and this combined with radiographs often identifies the nature and location of the foreign body. We report a case of a plastic bottle cap causing late knee locking after an open knee injury which was successfully identified and removed by arthroscopy.
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