Journal of Clinical Case Reports

Do Modern Femoral Stems Break?

Abstract

Kevin McSorley, John Galbraith, Derek Bennett and Rehan Gul

In the 1960s and 70s hip arthroplasty was in its infancy. During that time the occurrence of post-operative prosthetic femoral stem fracture was much greater than it is today. However as stem design and materials evolved along with superior cement and cementing techniques, rates of femoral stem fracture radically decreased, at present it is considered a rarity. We present two cases of fractured prosthetic femoral stems, detail the method of failure and the risk factors all surgeons should be aware of to minimize the risk femoral stem fracture.