Floating knee management

Abstract

Floating knee injury is described as the simultaneous ipsilateral disruption of skeletal integrity above and below the knee. It is usually associated with high-energy impact and often a part of polytrauma. Management of associated lifethreatening injuries should take precedence over the orthopedic injury. The soft tissue trauma to the limb is significant and it is prudent to be wary. Each fracture in a floating knee injury is unique and treatment should be decided based on individual analysis and the extent of soft-tissue injuries. A combination of multiple fractures might influence the choice of treatment in complex cases.