Pulmonary bone embolism after total hip replacement.
Numerous intravascular bony spicules were found at necropsy in both lungs of an 84-year-old patient who had undergone total hip replacements three and 10 months before death. It is suggested that acetabular grindings enter the damaged venous system at operation and are filtered out by the lungs.
D000368:Aged; D001842:Bone and Bones; D006622:Hip Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology