Dislocation and fractures around the knee with popliteal artery injury: a retrospective analysis of 54 cases

A retrospective multicentric series of 54 cases of knee trauma with acute ischemia by popliteal artery injury were analyzed. These high-energy traumas involved 25 dislocations and 29 fractures, 11 involving distal femur, 15 the proximal tibia and 3 a floating knee. There were 45 men and 7 women, mean age 42 years. Thirty-three patients suffered multiple injuries. The knee injury was open in 25 cases and associated with sciatic paralysis in 32. Vascular repair was almost always achieved with bypass surgery. An external fixator was used in 39 patients. Vascular repair was unsuccessful in three cases requiring amputation, all three cases involving fractures. There were also six secondary amputations due to muscle necrosis or septic nonunion. The rate of complete recovery of the sciatic was 25%. The rate of nonunion was 37%, half due to infection. Outcome assessed at at least one year follow-up was moderate with frequent functional sequelae. The analysis of these results and data reported in the literature provided indications for diagnostic and therapeutic propositions.