Complex Korean Medical Treatment of Postoperative Ankylosis in Septic Arthritis of the Knee: A Case Report

Abstract

A 50-year-old Korean male tour guide without any medical or family history com-plained of left knee pain. After receiving umbilical cord blood injection treatment, the pain gradually worsened. After being diagnosed with septic arthritis in the left knee, arthroscopic lavage, debridement, antibiotic treatment, and routine rehabilitation therapy were performed, but the symptoms persisted. In the hospital, acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, acupotomy, Chuna manual therapy, and cupping therapy were performed in addition to the usual treatment for 59 days. To evaluate the patient’s im-provement, the numeric rating scale, EuroQol 5-dimension, pain disability index, and Lysholm knee scoring system were used. After treatment, the symptoms improved in all assessment tools, swelling, and range of motion of the joint. Through this study, it was found that complex Korean medical therapies may be effective for postoperative ankylosis in septic arthritis of the knee, and further studies are needed to clarify the therapeutic effect. Korean Med Rehabil 2022;32(3):161-169)