Embolization of the Geniculate Arteries Is an Effective Treatment of Recurrent Hemarthrosis Following Total Knee Arthroplasty That Can Be Safely Repeated

Abstract

Background: Recurrent hemarthrosis is a late complication in up to 1.6% of patients following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). In the absence of intrinsic coagulopathy, one etiology is bleeding of hypertrophic vascular synovium. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical outcome of patients referred to our center for angiographic embolization of geniculate arteries for recurrent hemarthrosis following TKA.

Methods: We retrospectively studied a cohort of patients who were referred for geniculate artery embolization following TKA between August 2011 and September 2016.

Results: A total of 24 embolization procedures were performed on 14 patients. Seven (50%) of these 14 patients underwent one embolization procedure. Due to symptom recurrence, 4 patients underwent a repeated procedure and 3 patients a third procedure. All embolization procedures were technically successful at the time of the procedure. Two patients reported an inguinal hematoma that healed without further treatment. At follow-up of mean 26.8 months, clinical success was achieved in 12 of the 14 patients (86%).

Conclusion: Embolization of the geniculate arteries in our study was a safe and effective treatment of recurrent spontaneous hemarthrosis following TKA. Although we have performed a substantial number of reinterventions, results of this study show that this procedure can be safely repeated without adverse events. Our results indicate that embolization could possibly be the treatment of choice when conservative measures fail and can be repeated in the event of recurrent or persistent symptoms.

Keywords: arthroplasty; embolization; geniculate; hemarthrosis; knee.