Coblation devices are now widely used in arthroscopic surgery and they show a very low incidence of intraoperative complications. We experienced a case where the tip of the wand separated and migrated into the posterior knee compartment in an arthrofibrotic knee. The free wand tip was identified and then extricated from the popliteal hiatus of the knee with using C-arm fluoroscopic control. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of its kind involving coblation wands. We describe this complication to show that the use of coblation devices can lead to unexpected problems and it is imperative to inspect all instruments before and after each surgical use.
Arthroscopy/adverse effects/*instrumentation ; Catheter Ablation/adverse effects/*instrumentation ; *Equipment Failure ; Humans ; *Intraoperative Complications ; Knee Joint/*surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged

Arthroscopy ; adverse effects ; instrumentation ; methods ; Diagnostic Equipment ; adverse effects ; microbiology ; Disinfection ; methods ; Equipment Failure ; Humans ; Materials Testing ; methods ; Orthopedic Equipment ; adverse effects ; microbiology ; Postoperative Complications ; etiology ; prevention & control

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of arthroscopic bioabsorbable screw fixation in osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in adolescent patients with unstable lesions causing pain. METHODS: The study included 11 patients (10 males and 1 female) with OCD who underwent arthroscopic bioabsorbable screw fixation between July 2007 and February 2014 and were available for follow-up for more than 12 months. The mean age at diagnosis was 16.3 years (range, 11 to 19 years), and the average follow-up period was 51 months (range, 12 to 91 months). Clinical results were evaluated using the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Lysholm knee score, and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score measured before surgery and at follow-up. Functional evaluation was made using the Tegner activity scale. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and second-look arthroscopy were performed at the 12-month follow-up. RESULTS: Between the preoperative assessment and follow-up, improvements were seen in the KOOS (range, 44.9 to 88.1), Lysholm knee score (range, 32.6 to 82.8), and IKDC score (range, 40.8 to 85.6). The Tegner activity scale also improved from 2.8 to 6.1. Based on postoperative MRI, there were eight Dipaola grade I cases and three grade II cases. No complications due to fixation failure developed in any case. Second-look arthroscopy at 12 months postoperatively revealed that the lesion was covered with cartilage in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: For unstable OCD lesions causing pain in adolescents, arthroscopic bioabsorbable screw fixation provided favorable outcomes with reduced pain and restoration of movement. Therefore, it should be considered as an effective treatment for OCD.
*Absorbable Implants ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Arthroscopy/adverse effects/*instrumentation/methods ; *Bone Screws ; Child ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Osteochondritis Dissecans/*diagnostic imaging/*surgery ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult