Femoral stem disengagement in modular total knee revision arthroplasty

Modularity of tibial and femoral components allows the surgeon undertaking revision total knee arthroplasty a wide variety of options when trying to restore the joint line and balance the soft tissues in the presence of bone loss secondary to osteolysis. The results of small series reported in the literature demonstrate encouraging results at short-term follow-up. Concerns over galvanic corrosion and fretting between augments, intramedullary stems and prostheses have not been realized clinically. Complications of the procedure include those common to all surgical procedures as well as chronic pain about the knee and prosthetic loosening. We report a case of very early disengagement of a femoral intramedullary stem and its clinical and radiological effects at 3 years.