Pseudoaneurysm of the Popliteal Artery After (Revision) Knee Arthroplasty

Pseudoaneurysm of the popliteal artery is a rare complication of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), with a reported incidence of 0.0095% to 0.088%. We describe the case of a 66-year-old female who underwent conversion of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (2014) to a TKA because of instability symptoms. A pseudoaneurysm of the popliteal artery was found postoperatively on ultrasound performed because of persistent symptoms of pain and tightness of her calf and hypesthesia of digits 3 to 5. She was treated endovascularly with placement of a covered stent. At the most recent follow-up (8 months after surgery), the complaints of hypesthesia persist. A pseudoaneurysm of the popliteal artery is a rare, yet well-described, complication of TKA often found coincidentally on Duplex ultrasound usually performed to rule out a deep venous thrombosis. Prompt diagnosis is of great importance given the potential to developing compartment syndrome or irreversible neurological deficits.