Vascular injuries in total hip replacement arthroplasty: a review of the problem

Considering the proximity of the major endopelvic and exopelvic vascular structures to the hip joint, we find that reported vascular complications of total hip replacement are relatively rare. We encountered 1 case of vascular injury after primary, and 2 cases after revision, total hip arthroplasty. This stimulated us to send a postal survey to the members of the British Hip Society inquiring about such vascular complications, with a view to evaluating their incidence, management, and final outcome. We received 42 valid replies of 82 questionnaires sent. A conservative estimate from this study is 1 vascular injury in 14 consultant life years of practice. A total of 26 vascular injuries were studied in detail, which included 3 of our index cases. There were 14 cases encountered in revision hip replacement, while the rest occurred in primary hip replacement surgery. Three patterns of presentation of vascular injuries were recognized--immediate, early, and late, all of which require prompt recognition and appropriate treatment. The potential of vascular injury seems to be underestimated in primary total hip replacements, leading to late recognition and poor outcome.