Revision Surgery of Acrylic Femoral Head Prosthesis (Katayama-Hirakawa Type) for 32 Years After Replacement -A Case Report

• Published in: Orthopedics & Traumatology Vol. 48; no. 1; pp. 203 - 207
• Main Authors: Nishisho, Takehiko, Sangawa, Teruaki, Ohba, Koichi, Tsuji, Hirokazu, Tonai, Takeharu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: West-Japanese Society of Orthopedics & Traumatology 1999
• Subjects: Acrylic Femoral Head Prosthesis; Revision Surgery; Total Hip Replacement
• ISSN: 0037-1033; 1349-4333
• DOI: 10.5035/nishiseisai.48.203

We report a case of a 74-year-old woman who underwent revision surgery of acrylic femoral head prosthesis (Katayama-Hirakawa type) 32 years after the replacement. At 42-years old, she suffered a left femoral neck fracture, and as a result, underwent a femoral head replacement using acrylic prosthesis, after which she enjoyed a painless daily life for about 30 years. In March 1995, she suffered left coxalgia which was followed by gradual increasing pain. She therefore underwent revision surgery in August 1996. We found 3 damaged parts in the removed femoral head prosthesis. These include distortion of the proximo-medial stem, crack of distal stem, and rusting of the internal metal. But the head of the prosthesis showed minimun change. The factors for long-term survival of the patient's were minimun influence of the acrylic resin on the bone and joint, maintanance of the cartilage of the acetabulum in good condition at replacement, and the patient had been light weight for the past 35 years.