A 65-year-old man developed bilateral knee dermatitis in the distribution of the infrapatellar nerve 3 months following uncomplicated simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for osteoarthritis. The patient was treated with topical corticosteroids, and the rash had resolved after 6 months. At the 2-year follow-up, there had been no recurrences.
Neuropathy dermatitis is a rare cutaneous complication of TKA. Although a few theories exist, there is no definitive explanation for the underlying pathophysiology of this disease process.