Locked knee during pregnancy.

Abstract

An acutely locked knee is a painful and debilitating orthopaedic condition usually caused by a loose body or bucket-handle meniscal tear that requires surgery to remove or repair. We describe 2 cases of acute locking of the knee that occurred during pregnancy. Both patients underwent urgent arthroscopic treatment under spinal anesthesia without complication to the patient or fetus. Concerns regarding surgery during pregnancy revolve around the safety for the mother and fetus. Although local and regional anesthetics are safe with proper management, there is a slightly increased risk of spontaneous abortion when general anesthesia is used, especially in the first trimester. Although purely elective surgery is never recommended during pregnancy, arthroscopic knee surgery can be performed safely in emergency situations with proper planning by a coordinated team including the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and obstetrician.