Late Atraumatic Ceramic Head Fracture in Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Case Report.

Abstract

Atraumatic ceramic femoral head fracture is an uncommon but overwhelming complication of total hip arthroplasty (THA). The complication rate is low, with few reports in the literature. It is critical to continue researching late fracture risk to mitigate these instances. A 68-year-old Caucasian female presented with an atraumatic ceramic femoral head fracture in the setting of a ceramic-on-ceramic THA 17 years after primary surgery. The patient was successfully revised to a dual-mobility construct with a ceramic femoral head and a highly cross-linked polyethylene liner. The patient returned to normal function without pain. The complication rate for fracture of the ceramic femoral head is as low as 0.001% for fourth-generation aluminum matrix composite designs, while the complication rate of late atraumatic ceramic fracture is largely unknown. We present this case to add to the current literature.