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Updated: Dec 28, 2025
Imaging of the Microstructural Failure Mechanism in the Human Hip
Published on: September 29, 2023
Catastrophic Failure of a MiniHip Femoral Stem: A Case Report
Christopher M Melnic1, Philip Aurigemma2, Jo Ann Lee2
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital/Newton Wellesley Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Case:
The patient is a 63-year-old man who previously underwent a right total hip arthroplasty with the Corin MiniHip femoral stem. Within the first few months postoperatively, he had a fall that resulted in subsidence of his femoral prosthesis and subsequent revision shortly thereafter with a 10-mm skirted cobalt chrome femoral head. Eight years after the index procedure, the patient heard a crack and then collapsed while putting on bicycle shorts. Workup demonstrated a fracture of the stem at the base of the neck of the implant. Femoral stem revision with a diaphyseal engaging, modular implant, and dual mobility hip construct was performed.
Conclusion:
Atraumatic catastrophic failure of the femoral stem implant may be associated with long skirted femoral heads that create excessive bending moments on the stem and revision surgery.
