With the success of total knee arthroplasty, knee arthrodesis seldom is performed as a primary operation and usually is reserved for those few patients who are not candidates for total knee replacement. Occasionally, arthrodesis may be more appropriate than arthroplasty in a young patient with severe arthrosis because of the patient’s weight, occupation, or activity level. Other possible indications for primary arthrodesis include painful ankylosis after infection, loss of the extensor mechanism, tuberculosis, trauma, severe deformity in paralytic conditions, neuropathic arthropathy, and malignant or potentially malignant lesions around the knee. The most frequent indication for knee arthrodesis is currently salvage of a failed total knee arthroplasty, most often secondary to infection.
