Sciatic neuropathy secondary to migration of trochanteric wire following total hip arthroplasty

Delayed sciatic neuropathy secondary to migration of a free segment of trochanteric wire in an otherwise successful total hip arthroplasty seems not to have been reported previously. A 60-year-old woman with a total hip arthroplasty with a lateral transtrochanteric approach had the trochanter reattached with two 18-gauge Vitallium wires. The osteotomy healed uneventfully despite a break in the vertical wire ten days after surgery. Five years and ten months later, the patient began to have severe sciatic pain. Roentgenograms showed a free fragment of trochanteric wire posterior to the hip joint. On exploration, the 2-cm wire fragment was found to lie entirely within the epineurium of the sciatic nerve.