Atraumatic removal of a well-fixed porous ingrowth hip prosthesis

The authors describe their experience in the removal of a firmly fixed porous coated femoral component of a bipolar hip prosthesis in a 36-year-old man on a methadone maintenance program. The uncemented prosthesis had been implanted for 15 months when the patient complained of hip pain. A methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection was found in the hip joint. It was decided to remove the femoral component when the infection failed to respond to irrigation, debridement, and several weeks of intravenous antibiotic therapy and because the patient developed early signs of impending renal compromise and a deterioration of his general nutritional status. The technique for separating and removing the well-fixed porous ingrowth component from its intramedullary environment without damaging the cortical tube of the proximal femur is described.