Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) refers to the degeneration and destruction of cartilage after trauma to joints and surrounding tissues, along with the damage of subchondral bone, synovium, capsule, muscles and ligaments, finally resulting in osteoarthritis and dysfunction. PTOA of the knee mainly manifests as pain, stiffness and impairment of motion capacity. Management of PTOA includes physical therapy, medication and surgical intervention. Despite the pain was temporarily relieved, the long-term prognosis is still not satisfactory after medication and physical therapy. Surgical intervention is strongly recommended for the moderate and advanced stages of PTOA, which includes arthroscopic debridement, repair of cartilage, osteotomy and arthrodesis. For terminal PTOA, total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is necessary. However, TKA in the treatment of PTOA is challenging, especially for patients with surgical history, poor soft tissue conditions, abnormal alignment, multiple complications, as well as individual variation. Up to now, there is still a lack of standards and consensus for TKA in the treatment of PTOA. Accordingly, the author discusses the issues related to TKA in the treatment of PTOA, aiming to provide a reference for the treatment of PTOA of the knee.

Knee joint; Arthroplasty, replacement, knee; Surgical procedures, operative; Post-traumatic osteoarthritiss