Malignant fibrous histiocytoma after total hip arthroplasty. A case report

Technical advancements in total joint arthroplasty have led to components of varied design and substance and to increased longevity of the implanted components. Along with increased longevity of the implants comes concern about how these synthetic materials affect the tissues of the host. Experimentally, several materials currently used in implantable components have been shown to be potentially carcinogenic. Clinically, 12 cases of malignancy have been reported previously in association with orthopedic implants; of these, four were malignant fibrous histiocytomas (MFH). This report describes an additional case of MFH occurring in a patient who had multiple hip arthroplasties over a period of 15 years. While 13 malignancies associated with orthopedic implants could certainly be coincidental in view of the vast number of implanted orthopedic devices, each incidence of malignancy associated with an implant should be considered significant in determining any meaningful trends and relationships.