Early (?) Diagnosis of Low-symptomatic Ceramic Acetabular Liner Fracture in Ceramic-on-Ceramic Total Hip Arthroplasty

"Catastrophic" failure of one-piece ceramic liner without major trauma in a very active and heavy patient also having controlateral hip disease and right total knee arthroplasty (asymetric squatting) AND right shoulder arthroplasty for advanced omarthosis with normal rotator cuff (sugar cane handpicking ?)

Alumina ceramics in total hip arthroplasty (THA) have been used in Europe since 1970.

Over the years, ceramic-on-ceramic coupling became a valid option in THA because of excellent biocompatibility and tribological properties.

The major disadvantages are possible squeaking and mainly risk of breakage, usually disclosed by pain and functional impairment.

Squeaking is an audible noise arising from ceramic-on-ceramic bearings, the incidence of which is reported to range from 1% to 7% of THAs.

Component positioning, stripe wear, and edge loading have all been implicated.

Clicking sounds and scratching have also been anecdotally described.

Breakage of a ceramic component due to brittleness of the material still seems a rare complication.

Trauma, high activity level, and obesity may increase the risk of fracture.

Defective ceramic manufacture, inadequate (sandwich with polyethylene) implant design, and errors in surgical technique may contribute to breakage.

Rather than Caucasian, Asian (by extension West Indian) population lifestyle, including squatting, kneeling, and possibly sitting cross-legged, has been correlated to liner rim impingement and fracture.

Additional reports concerning failure of various, mainly sandwich, but not exclusively, ceramic liners have recently been described.

I will describe here a unique case of apparently early diagnosis of a low-symptomatic fracture of an Anca-Fit acetabular liner occurring 3 years after implantation of an uncemented ceramic-on-ceramic modular THA.

Explore posts in the same categories: Arthritis, Business of Orthopaedics, Hip, Infection, Sports Medicine, Trauma

Tags: Adult, Biomaterial, Case study, Ceramic materials, Complication, Fracture, French West Indies, Guadeloupe, Hip, Human, Marie-Galante Island, Orthopedic surgery, Pathophysiology, Postoperative, Prosthesis, Revision total hip arthroplasty, Risk Factors, Technical equipment, Technique, Total, Total Hip Arthroplasty, Total knee arthroplasty, Trauma, Treatment, West Indies

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