Management of Arterial and Venous Injuries in the Dislocated Knee

Abstract

Interest in the diagnosis and treatment of vascular injuries around the knee has coincided with the advances in vascular surgery throughout the past century. Multiple armed conflicts from war, as well as modern trauma series, have clarified the need for expeditious popliteal artery repair and have suggested the need for popliteal venous repair. The World War II experience reported by Debakey and Simone1 revealed a 72% amputation rate when the injured popliteal artery was ligated. Repair of traumatic popliteal artery injuries in the Korean War reduced the amputation rate to 32%.2 Despite continued advances in patient evacuation, the amputation rate for popliteal artery injuries in the Vietnam War remained at 32%.3 As trauma in America has increased, the incidence of popliteal arterial and venous injury has increased as well.