Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 10, 2026
Imaging of the Microstructural Failure Mechanism in the Human Hip
Published on: September 29, 2023
[Three successive fractures of different hip femoral stems on the same patient]
1Servicio de Traumatología y Cirugía Ortopédica. Hospital Sierrallana, Torrelavega, España.
The clinical case of an 80-year-old female who suffered three fractures in uncemented stems implanted in her right hip in a period of three years is presented. A fracture occurred in the prosthetic neck and the other two at the juncture of the conical and cylindrical stem portion, coinciding with the metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction of the femur. The main causes of the failure were an increasing concentration of forces at the level of the implant as a consequence of the increased length of the neck and lateralization of the femur (offset). Other causes that have contributed to this prosthetic failure are analyzed.
The clinical case of an 80-year-old female who suffered three fractures in uncemented stems implanted in her right hip in a period of three years is presented. A fracture occurred in the prosthetic neck and the other two at the juncture of the conical and cylindrical stem portion, coinciding with the metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction of the femur. The main causes of the failure were an increasing concentration of forces at the level of the implant as a consequence of the increased length of the neck and lateralization of the femur (offset). Other causes that have contributed to this prosthetic failure are analyzed.
