Cement fragment induced external iliac artery pseudoaneurysm: a rare complication following total hip arthroplasty

Perros, Ioannis; Kiyawat, Vivek; Day, Christopher; Rajagopalan, Sriram

Abstract

Vascular injury is a rare but important complication following a total hip arthroplasty (THA). The occurrence of such an event can be difficult to detect and manage due to the time frame in which this can occur. We report a case of a female patient in her 70s who presented 19 months post right THA with right-sided acute limb ischaemia. Initial imaging revealed occlusion at the level of the right common and external iliac arteries. The patient was treated with a successful embolectomy, but muscle death in the leg, leading to acidosis resulted in the right leg being amputated. Postoperatively, a drop in the haemoglobin levels without any visible bleeding and the presence of a new suprainguinal pulsatile swelling warranted a CT angiogram. This demonstrated a false aneurysm originating from the distal right external iliac artery, precisely at the point where it encountered a cement spicule from the previous THA.

Citation

Perros, I., Kiyawat, V., Day, C., & Rajagopalan, S. (2024). Cement fragment induced external iliac artery pseudoaneurysm: a rare complication following total hip arthroplasty. BMJ Case Reports, 17(12), Article e261844. https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2024-261844

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 10, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Dec 4, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-12
• Deposit Date: Jan 21, 2025
• Journal: BMJ Case Reports
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 12
• Article Number: e261844
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2024-261844
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/1049912
• Publisher URL: https://casereports.bmj.com/content/17/12/e261844