Abstract

A 49-year-old man was involved in a high-energy motor vehicle accident. Haemodynamic instability with multiple long bone fractures of lower limbs was the hallmarks of the injury. Closed fragmented fracture of left femur shaft and open displaced supracondylar fracture of the contralateral femur. Closed comminuted high-grade fracture of the Tibia plateau (Schatzker VI) was diagnosed bilaterally. ‘Orthopaedic damage control’ was initiated with bilateral ‘cross knee’ external fixation, followed by conversion to open reduction internal fixation of all fracture sits at 8 days later. The patient underwent nine subsequent hospitalisations, of which eight involved operative treatment. The interval from admission to last documented surgery was 7 years. The endpoint was total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with mega prosthesis of the left knee and a primary-type TKA in the right knee. Both arthroplasties were non-assisted, conventional procedures. Postoperative Western Onterio and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) score was 85 at 9-year follow-up from the injury incurred.