Functional Outcomes after Management of Floating Knee Injuries

Abstract

Background: The floating knee is defined as ipsilateral fracture of femur and tibia that isolates the knee from the rest of the lower limb. Due to the complex nature of the injury and associated complications these injuries pose a challenge to the treating surgeon. We conducted this study to evaluate the functional outcome of the management of the patients with floating knee injuries. Material and Methods: This study was conducted on 20 patients of floating knee who presented to the emergency department of our institution between June 2016 to June 2019. All the patients were followed up for clinical, radiological outcome and complications. Functional outcome was assessed by using Karlstrom and Olerud criteria. Results: The mean age of patients was 35.5 years with range of 18-70. Mean duration of follow up was 16.4 months ranging from 11 months to 37 months. Mean operating time was 141±10.25 minutes. Mean blood loss was 540±10.5 ml. Mean time for union was 15.15±1.35 weeks. Knee stiffness was the main complication after surgery seen in 6 patients (30%) while diffuse knee pain and swelling were seen in 4 patients (20%). Conclusion: These injuries have high propensity of involving multiple systems of the body, so a multidisciplinary approach is essential for management of these injuries in the emergency.