• Full Name: ADRIAN BARRERA FLORES
• Affiliation/Institution: Clinica Cemtro
• Country: Spain

Objectives

Currently arthroscopic procedures are not common in patients with arthroplasty and reports of their implementation vary from 0.01% to 1.73% .Indications of arthroscopy following arthroplasty include: patellofemoral problems, arthrofibrosis, free bodies , confirmation of prosthetic aseptic loosening (performing joint washes), confirmation of polyethylene wear, post-operative haemarthrosis, pseudomenisis, posterior cruciate ligament disbalance, popliteal tendon friction, or some other soft tissue problem.

The purpose is to present our experience by performing arthroscopy in symptomatic knee arthroplasty (TKA, unicondylar, revision) without evidence of prosthesis infección.

Materials and Methods

A systematic and retrospective review was run out from January 2013 to January 2025 on 58 patients, who underwent arthroscopy with previous knee arthroplasty. In this group of 58 patients who met the exclusion and inclusion criteria, the arthroscopic procedure was performed in Cemtro Clinic, with the participation of the same surgical team; the time of arthroscopy was an average of 16 months after knee arthroplasty.

Results

The performance of arthroscopy was effective for the diagnosis in 52 patients of the 58 cases. In 3.44% of the sample it was not possible to obtain direct arthroscopic diagnosis, finding no apparent cause of painful prosthesis. In the case of its effectiveness for the treatment of symptomatic knee arthroplasty (pain), a 89.65% effectiveness was observed in the reduction and / or resolution of symptoms (KSS).

Conclusions

Arthroscopy in a patient with prosthesis is not a frequent or simple procedure. The surgeon is faced with technical difficulties that in the classical procedures are not present .Arthroscopic procedures, as diagnostic and therapeutic tools, allow the evaluation of all compartments of the prosthetic knee with low morbidity and low risk of infection in symptomatic arthroplasties. Counting with an effective tool for the management of such patients. Achieving also the improvement in prosthetic survival, joint mobility and decrease or resolution of pain.