Radiographic False Evidence of a Tibial Baseplate Fracture After Total Knee Arthroplasty

Fracture of the tibial baseplate is a rare but dramatic cause of typically late fatigue failure in the setting of loosening after total knee arthroplasty. A 58-year-old female presented 4 months after total knee arthroplasty for evaluation of contralateral knee pain. Plain radiographs of the left knee incidentally suggested the possibility of tibial baseplate fracture despite minimal, expected postoperative symptoms. Subsequent computed tomography imaging demonstrated no confirmatory evidence of component failure or fracture. Malalignment and fatigue fracture are proposed etiologies of baseplate fractures. The presented case illustrates the importance of computed tomography imaging and clinical correlation when a diagnosis of baseplate fracture is suspected to avoid an unnecessary revision surgery.