False aneurysm of the popliteal artery: a rare complication of total knee replacement

Abstract

We describe a 72-year-old woman with a false aneurysm of the mid-popliteal artery after a total knee replacement, presenting with a pulsatile swelling and an audible bruit in the popliteal fossa. The diagnosis was confirmed by duplex ultrasound. Surgical repair was undertaken using a saphenous vein patch to reconstruct the arterial defect. A false aneurysm of the popliteal artery following total knee replacement is an extremely rare occurrence. To our knowledge, only four other cases have been reported in the English-language literature.