Case Report

Knee Locking Due to a Single Gouty Tophus

ALEJANDRO ESPEJO-BAENA, STEPHAN MESCHIAN CORETTI, JOSE MIGUEL SERRANO FERNANDEZ, JOSE MARIA GARCIA-HERRERA, and JOAQUINA RUIZ DEL PINO

ABSTRACT.

Knee locking is a highly incapacitating condition attributable to mechanical or functional factors. Pain, mostly of capsuloligamentous or intraosseous origin, is the cause of functional locking. Meniscal injuries are the most frequent arthroscopic finding in the locked knee, due to mechanical factors. We describe a patient experiencing locking during extension whose history and examination suggested a tear of the anterior horn of the lateral meniscus of the right knee; a diagnostic/therapeutic arthroscopy revealed an intraarticular gouty tophus growing from the anterior horn of the lateral meniscus. (J Rheumatol 2006;33:193-5)

Key Indexing Terms:

LOCKING
KNEE
GOUT
TOPHUS
MENISCI
URATE CRYSTALS

---

From the University Hospital "Virgen de la Victoria," Málaga, Spain.

A. Espejo-Baena, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon; S. Meschian Coretti, Resident; J.M. Serrano Fernandez, Resident; J.M. Garcia-Herrera, Resident; J. Ruiz del Pino, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon.

Address reprint requests to Dr. A. Espejo-Baena, Paseo Reding 9–1°C, Málaga 29016, Spain. E-mail: espejoreina@terra.es

Accepted for publication July 11, 2005.

---