Vol. 5, Issue 1, Part B (2023)

Knee stiffness is a very disabling post-traumatic complication. The objective of our study was to evaluate the mid-term functional results of patients treated by open arthrolysis for knee stiffness in Togo.
Patients and methods: This is a prospective descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2021, carried out in two hospitals in Togo. It consisted of patients who presented with severe post-traumatic knee stiffness and were treated surgically. The sample consisted of one woman and 5 men whose average age was 37.5 years. The stiffness was in flexion in five patients and one case of stiffness in extension. The patients initially presented with open trauma to the knee due to a road accident.
The mobility arcs were informed using a goniometer. The functional evaluation was carried out using the IKS knee and IKS function scores. Complications were also listed.
Results: The average length of hospitalization was 23.8 days with extremes of 5 to 90 days.
The average IKS knee score is 75/100 (31-88); and that IKS function was 100 in 05 patients and 50/100 in one patient with an average of 92/100 (Table II).
Five patients felt little and occasional pain. A patient felt pain when walking. Average patient satisfaction was 28/40 with extremes between 6 and 40/40.
Conclusion: Surgical knee arthrolysis according to the great liberation of Judet is a safe, effective and durable technique. It helps improve the quality of life of patients by increasing knee mobility and thus facilitating certain movements of daily life.