Disjointed: Complications of Joint Replacement

Abstract Arthroplasty refers to the replacement, or resurfacing, of a joint with the goal of restoring function and relieving pain. Joint replacement procedures are extremely common, with greater than one million knee and hip replacements alone performed in the United States each year. Frequent indications for arthroplasty include arthritis, trauma, osteonecrosis, and treatment of congenital abnormalities. The most commonly replaced joints include the knee, hip, and shoulder, although ankle, elbow, and various digit arthroplasties are also encountered with considerable frequency. Patients with joint replacements are imaged frequently, at routine postoperative intervals, for symptoms related to the replaced joint, and for unrelated reasons in which the arthroplasty is incidentally visualized. Because of the high prevalence of joint replacements, complications are also common, and radiologists should be comfortable recognizing the appearance of potentially clinically significant pathologic processes affecting arthroplasties.