Challenges and Complications in Treating Total Knee Arthroplasty in Morbidly Obese Patients.

The number of total hip and total knee replacements has increased steadily each year. Today, they are routinely performed all over the world. The increasing prevalence of obesity has led to an increase in the number of total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) performed in patients with a higher body mass index (BMI) and also has a higher rate of complications. Possible complications are infection, instability, misalignment, osteolysis, or fracture. Revision arthroplasty can be challenging due to bone defects, ligament instability, and difficulty in fixation. We present the case of a 66-year-old morbidly obese patient who underwent TKA. After the operation, infection and a mechanical complication of periprosthetic fracture of the tibial component occurred. The infection made the treatment more difficult. The patient had to undergo several surgeries in several stages to address the post-surgical complications. TKA in obese patients leads to a higher risk of postoperative complications.
Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.
(Copyright © 2024, Bocea et al.)