Ochronotic arthropathy effectively treated with total hip and total knee arthroplasty: a case report

Front Med (Lausanne). 2023 Sep 19:10:1212580. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1212580. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Ochronosis is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of tyrosine metabolism characterized by multilevel spinal degeneration and arthritis of large weight-bearing joints, which is referred to as ochronotic arthropathy. In this case report, we describe diagnosis and treatment of ochronotic arthropathy in a patient who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The Harris hip score was 26 preoperatively and 45, 68, 76, 90, 92, and 94 at 1, 3, 6, 9, 11, and 14 months, respectively, postoperatively. The forgotten joint score (FJS) of the hip was 27.8, 52.8, 81.1, 89.0, 90.6, and 92.4 at 1, 3, 6, 9, 11, and 14 months, respectively, postoperatively. TKA was performed 8 months after THA. The Knee Society Score was 36 before TKA and 74, 82, and 90 at 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively, after TKA. The FJS of the knee was 36.6, 63.9, and 84.5 at 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively, after TKA. The patient's knee range of motion returned to normal, with significant reduction in pain and improved satisfaction levels after TKA. THA and TKA can achieve good clinical outcomes in patients with ochronosis accompanied by severe joint pain.

Keywords: alkaptonuria; joint pain; ochronotic arthropathy; total hip arthroplasty; total knee arthroplasty.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

Grants and funding

The authors declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81672197). Grant numbers: ¥520,000. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.