Treatment of an infected total knee replacement with two-stage arthrodesis in a dog: a case report

A three-year-old intact female Great Pyrenees underwent total knee replacement for the treatment of osteoarthritis. The dog contracted septic arthritis 10 weeks following the procedure. Treatments including implant subtraction, debridement of tissue, and insertion of bone cement with antibiotics into the joint space were completed in the joint cavity. A temporary external skeletal fixator was used to stabilise the joint for four weeks. A second attempt at total knee replacement failed due to severe muscle contracture and bone loss. Therefore, it was decided to perform arthrodesis as a salvage procedure. At the 17 month follow-up examination, the patient was able to use the limb while standing and at all gait speeds. Based on these findings, two-stage arthrodesis can be a viable salvage procedure for infected total knee replacements.