[Femur shaft fractures in artificial hip joint replacement]

In a total of 1980 patients who underwent total hip replacement 0.8% suffered from intra- and postoperative fractures of the femoral shaft. These spontaneous fractures were preconditioned by damage of the cortical layer due to rheumatoid arthritis, aseptic and septic looseening of the prosthesis as well as local trauma. In most cases stability could be restored by plate osteosynthesis, sometimes in combination with change of the prosthesis.