Concurrent replacement of four major joints in a woman with advanced rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

We report a case of a woman in her mid-40s with advanced rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with bilateral hip and knee joint involvement, who underwent a one-stage quadruple joint arthroplasty during a single session of anaesthesia. Chronic RA had severely incapacitated her, necessitating this uncommon surgical intervention. The surgical approach involved sequential bilateral total hip and knee replacements, which were completed within 180 min with a cumulative blood loss of 950 mL. The patient showed significant improvement with rapid mobilisation and regained joint function postoperatively. At 8 months post-surgery, the patient resumed her daily activities, showcasing the potential benefits and positive outcomes of quadruple joint arthroplasty in selected RA patients. This case, only the second documented globally, highlights the complexities and possibilities surrounding a single-stage quadruple joint arthroplasty in advanced RA.

Keywords: Orthopaedic and trauma surgery; Plastic and reconstructive surgery.