Intraperitoneal Loss of Pelvic Array Pin During Navigated Total Hip Arthroplasty

Pelvic array pin placement during navigated total hip arthroplasty has been known to cause complications; however, most of them are minor. We report a 78-year-old female who underwent a routine computer-navigated total hip replacement which was subsequently complicated by complete loss of the pelvic array pin requiring retrieval via laparotomy. No structures were injured despite the surrounding urological, vascular, and visceral anatomy. The patient recovered and subsequently underwent a total hip arthroplasty without complication 6 weeks later. This case illustrates the dangers of inserting a pelvic array pin within patients with poor bone quality and highlights necessary considerations of pin design and surgical techniques to minimize this complication.