CASE REPORT   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2017 October;176(10):561-4

DOI: 10.23736/S0393-3660.17.03433-7

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Blunt popliteal artery injury treated with endovascular repair and subsequent open repair

Toru IDE ✉, Hajime MATSUE, Masashi KAWAMURA

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Rinku General Medical Center, Osaka, Japan

Blunt popliteal injuries are rare but often require lower extremity amputation. Open repair is generally performed for such injuries. However, we consider endovascular repair to be a feasible treatment option to reduce the risks of infection and compartment syndrome that often follows open repair. Although endovascular repair in the lower extremity is generally considered to present with a high rate of failure, we experienced a case of blunt popliteal artery injury that was successfully treated by endovascular repair followed by radical open repair. A 52-year-old man sustained popliteal artery occlusion, a tibial plateau fracture, and knee joint dislocation in the left leg when the leg got caught in farming machinery. A stent was placed along the occluded portion of the popliteal artery, and sufficient blood flow was obtained. Compartment syndrome then developed, and fasciotomy with simultaneous external fixation of the tibial fracture was performed. After the wound had clinically improved, the patient underwent open reduction and internal fixation of the tibial fracture, followed by stent removal and open fixation of the popliteal artery. His postoperative outcome was excellent. This case illustrates that endovascular repair is a potentially favorable treatment option in certain patients with popliteal artery injury as this procedure may reduce the risks associated with open repair. Further studies are required to fully evaluate the procedure’s safety and effectiveness.

KEY WORDS: Wounds and injuries - Popliteal artery - Stents - Endovascular procedures