Tibial tray fracture in a modern prosthesis with retrieval analysis

Fracture of the tibial tray is a rarely observed complication of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), predominately in implants placed greater than a decade ago. This case highlights a case of baseplate fracture in a contemporary prosthesis. The patient presented 1 year after TKA with medial knee pain consistent with pes bursitis. The implant-cement-bone construct was intact and she was managed with corticosteroids. She had persistent pain, acutely developed new varus deformity, and presented with a tibial tray fracture. Retrieval analysis suggested fatigue fracture as the likely mechanism. At time of revision, necrotic bone was found at the medial plateau, which likely caused cantilever bending relative to the well-supported portion of the tray and resultant failure. The patient continues to do well 5 years after revision TKA.