Arterial occlusion after total knee arthroplasty: successful management of an uncommon complication by percutaneous thrombus aspiration.

Management of arterial occlusion after total knee arthroplasty is controversial in the literature, in part because of the relatively small number of reported cases. We report a case of perioperative popliteal artery thrombosis after total knee arthroplasty that was treated successfully with percutaneous thrombus aspiration and balloon dilation. Immediate intervention prevented ischemic muscular necrosis, resulting in full recovery of the limb.