Fatal cerebral emboli in the absence of a cardiac arterial-venous shunt: case report.

Cerebral embolism in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty has an incidence rate of 0.5%. In those cases where cerebral emboli were confirmed, a venous-to-arterial circulation shunt, most commonly a patent foramen ovale, was identified.

Histologic and mechanical evaluation of impaction grafting for femoral component revision in a goat model.

A goat model of revision hip arthroplasty was used to examine the histology and mechanical performance of impaction grafting using two femoral stems varying in stem surface finish. There were no significant mechanical or qualitative histologic differences between smooth, tapered, polished stems and step-cut, grit-blasted stems. Allograft distribution, bone incorporation, and cement mantle thickness were not uniform within the femoral canal.

Bilateral pathologic fractures of the hip and acetabulum treated with cementless total hip arthroplasty.

Pathologic fractures from metastatic cancer pose formidable challenges to the orthopaedic surgeon technically and in terms of surgical decision making with regards to patient quality of life. We present the case of a 47-year-old woman with simultaneous bilateral pathologic femoral neck and acetabulum fractures and severe pulmonary shunt, who was treated successfully with cementless femoral and acetabular implants.

Results of a tapered cementless femoral stem implanted in varus.

Varus placement of the femoral component in total hip arthroplasty has been associated with poor outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine results of total hip arthroplasty with varus alignment of a tapered titanium femoral prosthesis (Alloclassic; Sulzer, Zurich, Switzerland) at a minimum 5-year follow-up. Of a consecutive series of 585 patients, 23 met the inclusion criteria.