Lateral dislocation of the knee joint after total knee arthroplasty: a case report

Background Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a successful therapy for functional improvement and pain relief in advanced symptomatic degeneration of the knee joint. But it can be associated with many complications, one of which is instability. Case presentation A 70-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of right knee dislocation after TKA was performed on her right knee due to severe varus deformity and flexion contracture. This instability was caused by persistent MCL tightness and iatrogenic lateral collateral, arcuate ligament, and popliteus tendon injury. The torn lateral collateral ligament and arcuate ligament were sutured with no. 2 non-absorbable (Ethibond) sutures with plication of the posterolateral knee capsule. A deep-dish liner was inserted to optimize soft tissue tension. Conclusion This is a very severe complication, and surgeons must be cautious about ligament balancing and soft tissue resection during TKA for severe varus and valgus deformities.