Fabella Syndrome as an Uncommon Cause of Posterolateral Knee Pain after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

The fabella is a sesamoid bone that is located in the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle and has been identified on magnetic resonance imaging in 31% of Japanese people. In the present case, a 65-year-old woman experienced posterolateral knee pain, accompanied by a clicking “sound” during acti...

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Main Authors: Eriko Okano, Tomokazu Yoshioka, Takaji Yanai, Sho Kohyama, Akihiro Kanamori, Masashi Yamazaki, Toshikazu Tanaka
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Orthopedics
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/4328462
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author Eriko Okano
Tomokazu Yoshioka
Takaji Yanai
Sho Kohyama
Akihiro Kanamori
Masashi Yamazaki
Toshikazu Tanaka
author_facet Eriko Okano
Tomokazu Yoshioka
Takaji Yanai
Sho Kohyama
Akihiro Kanamori
Masashi Yamazaki
Toshikazu Tanaka
author_sort Eriko Okano
collection DOAJ
description The fabella is a sesamoid bone that is located in the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle and has been identified on magnetic resonance imaging in 31% of Japanese people. In the present case, a 65-year-old woman experienced posterolateral knee pain, accompanied by a clicking “sound” during active knee flexion, after undergoing total knee arthroplasty for knee osteoarthritis. Eight months of conservative therapy failed to produce an improvement, with progressive osteoarthritic change of the fabella identified on plain radiography. Based on this evidence, a diagnosis of fabella syndrome was made and the patient underwent a fabellectomy. Fabellectomy provided immediate resolution of posterolateral knee pain and the clicking sound with knee flexion, with the patient remaining symptom-free 18 months after fabellectomy and with no limitations in knee function. Fabellectomy eliminated symptoms in all of five case reports that have been previously published and is regarded as an effective first choice for treating fabella syndrome after total knee arthroplasty.
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institution Kabale University
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language English
publishDate 2016-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Case Reports in Orthopedics
spelling doaj-art-38d29338a05145da85544cbabab06def2025-08-20T03:55:11ZengWileyCase Reports in Orthopedics2090-67492090-67572016-01-01201610.1155/2016/43284624328462Fabella Syndrome as an Uncommon Cause of Posterolateral Knee Pain after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report and Review of the LiteratureEriko Okano0Tomokazu Yoshioka1Takaji Yanai2Sho Kohyama3Akihiro Kanamori4Masashi Yamazaki5Toshikazu Tanaka6Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, JapanDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, JapanDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kikkoman General Hospital, 100 Miyazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-0005, JapanDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kikkoman General Hospital, 100 Miyazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-0005, JapanDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, JapanDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, JapanDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kikkoman General Hospital, 100 Miyazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-0005, JapanThe fabella is a sesamoid bone that is located in the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle and has been identified on magnetic resonance imaging in 31% of Japanese people. In the present case, a 65-year-old woman experienced posterolateral knee pain, accompanied by a clicking “sound” during active knee flexion, after undergoing total knee arthroplasty for knee osteoarthritis. Eight months of conservative therapy failed to produce an improvement, with progressive osteoarthritic change of the fabella identified on plain radiography. Based on this evidence, a diagnosis of fabella syndrome was made and the patient underwent a fabellectomy. Fabellectomy provided immediate resolution of posterolateral knee pain and the clicking sound with knee flexion, with the patient remaining symptom-free 18 months after fabellectomy and with no limitations in knee function. Fabellectomy eliminated symptoms in all of five case reports that have been previously published and is regarded as an effective first choice for treating fabella syndrome after total knee arthroplasty.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/4328462
spellingShingle Eriko Okano
Tomokazu Yoshioka
Takaji Yanai
Sho Kohyama
Akihiro Kanamori
Masashi Yamazaki
Toshikazu Tanaka
Fabella Syndrome as an Uncommon Cause of Posterolateral Knee Pain after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Case Reports in Orthopedics
title Fabella Syndrome as an Uncommon Cause of Posterolateral Knee Pain after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
title_full Fabella Syndrome as an Uncommon Cause of Posterolateral Knee Pain after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
title_fullStr Fabella Syndrome as an Uncommon Cause of Posterolateral Knee Pain after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
title_full_unstemmed Fabella Syndrome as an Uncommon Cause of Posterolateral Knee Pain after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
title_short Fabella Syndrome as an Uncommon Cause of Posterolateral Knee Pain after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
title_sort fabella syndrome as an uncommon cause of posterolateral knee pain after total knee arthroplasty a case report and review of the literature
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/4328462
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