Abstract
We present a case with Charcot's joints of both knees, who had received a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) . A 52-year old woman was referred to our hospital for pain and marked effusion in both knees, and was diagnosed as bilateral Charcot's joints due to tabes dorsalis. In 1984, arthrodesis of the right knee and noncemented TKA of the left knee were performed. A radiolucent zone around the tibial component appeared at 5 months, and sinking of the tibial component was revealed at 1 year after the TKA, and it progressed slowly thereafter. In August 2000, 16 years after the operation, she was able to walk with a cane, although varus deformity and pain in the left knee increased. Radiographs of the knee showed loosening of the tibial component and a radiolucent zone around the femoral component. From this case and the previous reports, TKA could be one of the options for patients with joint destruction due to Charcot's joint.
