Arthrodesis of knee was indicated in cases of tuberculosis of knee, pyogenic arthritis, sever pain after traumatic arthritis and infection after arthroplasty of knee. In the treatment of tuberculosis of the knee, when abscess formation threatens
the
integrity of neighboring structure and continued drainage is progressively debilitating the patient, removal of infected focus is indicated and arthrodesis or amputation is indicated when destruction is extensive. Total knee replacement has
become
popular for treatment of arthritis and its most serious complication of total knee arthroplasty is infection. the presence of massive bone loss, severe ligamentous instrability, and soft tissue loss as well as well as infection with multiple
organisms
or antibiotic resistant organism will limit the options abailable and are best managed by arthrodesis. Failure of previous two-stage reimplantation for infection is also an indication for arthrodesis. Currently employed methods for arthrodesis
are
external fixation, intramedullary rod and plate and screw fixation.
We performed knee afthrodesis using a modified Charnley clamp in nine patients who were six tuberculosis of the knee and three infected total knee replacement patients between Nov. 1991 and Jan. 1994. After follow up of average 16.5 months, we
analysed
the results. Average age was 54 years old and before arthrodesis in three cases of tuberculosis of knee and two cases of infected total knee arthroplasty. In infected total knee arthroplasty, removal of prosthesis and arthrodesis was performed
same
time. In all nine patients, long leg cast was applied postoperatively or before discharge. Successful arthrodesis was obtained in all nine cases with low cost modified Charnley clamp.
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