Any surgical intervention has potential risks and complications. Some complications are avoidable and some are not. Arthrofibrosis or stiffness may take place in the best of hands, and infection may surface postoperatively even in the most sterile operating room. How one deals with complications truly tests the skill of the surgeon. Keeping calm and focussed on the issues in the midst of an intraoperative complication will be facilitated by having an algorithmic approach.


Complications in Knee and Shoulder Surgery is designed as a reference tool and a roadmap for the sports medicine orthopedist to minimize complications in knee and shoulder surgery. By understanding the functional anatomy at risk, proper surgical set up, proper equipment, and proper patient selection, a preventative approach to complications can be instituted.


The authors of these chapters are leaders in orthopedic sports medicine and reveal their techniques for dealing with intraoperative complications, increasing the surgeon’s awareness of potential complications and providing advice to avoid and treat these problems effectively and rapidly should they arise.