FLOATING KNEE

Course overview

AS EARLY AS 1975, THE TERM FLOATING KNEE WAS INITIALLY USED BY BLAKE AND MCBRYDE TO DESCRIBE FRACTURES OF THE IPSILATERAL FEMUR AND TIBIA. FRACTURES CAN OCCUR ANYWHERE ALONG THE FEMUR AND THE TIBIA AND MUST OCCUR IN BOTH BONES TO BE CONSIDERED A FLOATING KNEE INJURY. THE TERM FLOATING KNEE REFERS TO THE KNEE JOINT AND NOT NECESSARILY THE CONNECTION TO EITHER LONG BONE. ALTHOUGH TIBIAL AND FEMUR FRACTURES ARE NOT UNCOMMON, HAVING INJURIES TO BOTH BONES SIMULTANEOUSLY ON THE IPSILATERAL LIMB IS UNCOMMON. FLOATING KNEE INJURIES ARE USUALLY COMPLEX, WITH VARIOUS MECHANISMS OF INJURY, AS WELL AS OFTEN COMPLICATED TREATMENTS. THIS ACTIVITY OUTLINES THE HISTORY AND DIAGNOSIS OF FLOATING KNEE INJURIES AND EXPLAINS THE MECHANISMS OF INJURY, ANATOMY INVOLVED, AND TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR SAID INJURIES WHILE EXPLAINING THE ROLES OF AN INTERPROFESSIONAL ORTHOPEDIC TEAM IN TREATMENT.