[Fatal intraoperative lung fat embolism in endoprosthesis of the hip joint].
Report on 3 cases of intraoperative death during total hip replacement in treatment of transcervical fracture of the femur, using acrylic bone cement. The patients were two female (83 and 87 years-old) and one male (78 years old), who suffered from a sudden fall at home. Autopsy revealed massive fat embolism (FE) of the lung and in one case also in the other organs; in 2 cases this FE was the cause of death alone, in the third case together with an unusual severe coronary heart disease (heart weight 700 g). Discussion of the medico-legal aspects, i.e. the coincidence of FE of different causes (traumatic, by operation, by reanimation). Reflections on the certainty to attribute the death to specific (in particular deficient) technical factors.
Maxeiner
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D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004620:Embolism, Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000473:pathology*; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000473:pathology*
Tödliche intraoperative Lungenfettembolie bei Endoprothese des Hüftgelenkes.