Deep vein thrombosis after arthroscopic synovectomy for septic arthritis of the knee in a professional football player: a case report

Although rare, deep vein thrombosis is a potentially serious complication following knee arthroscopy.We present the case of a 22-year-old male professional football player who developed severe calf pain and was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis 10 days after arthroscopic synovectomy performed for Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus septic arthritis of the left knee.The patient was treated successfully with oral anticoagulants without developing pulmonary embolism.By 10 weeks postoperatively, he achieved full functional recovery and returned to professional football.Complete thrombus resolution was confirmed by Doppler ultrasonography four months postoperatively.Despite the low incidence of deep vein thrombosis after knee arthroscopy, clinicians should maintain a high level of vigilance for thromboembolic complications in patients presenting with persistent leg pain, particularly when predisposing factors such as infectious synovitis and immobilization are present.