Patient Safety in Surgery

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Open Access Highly Access Case report

Femoral neck fracture during physical therapy following surface replacement arthroplasty: a preventable complication? A case report

Timothy R Judkins and Michael R Dayton*

Author Affiliations

Department of Orthopaedics, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, USA

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Patient Safety in Surgery 2010, 4:3 doi:10.1186/1754-9493-4-3

Published: 4 February 2010

Abstract

This case report describes two cases of peri-prosthetic fracture during physical therapy in patients who underwent a hip resurfacing, or surface replacement arthroplasty. The fractures occurred with forceful passive combined flexion and external rotation. Functional results were ultimately obtained in both cases, requiring conversion to total hip arthroplasty. Recognizing patient risk factors and cautioning therapists about the possibility of fracture may have prevented these complications.