Bilateral pathologic fractures in a patient with beta-thalassemia undergoing total hip arthroplasty.
A 49-year-old woman with beta-thalassemia minor and degenerative joint disease underwent bilateral hybrid total hip arthroplasty. Postoperative radiographs showed bilateral femoral shaft fractures extending distal to the cement plug. Examples of the hemodynamic complications of beta-thalassemia have been reported in the literature; however, this particular orthopaedic complication has not been reported before.
Timon
S
S
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California at Los Angeles, USA.
O'Flynn
H M
HM
Tate
D E
DE
Sculco
T P
TP
D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D015519:Bone Density; D005260:Female; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology