Clinical report. Atypical acetabular bone loss in chronic septic total hip arthroplasty loosening

Background: When a periprosthetic infection is diagnosed, the surgical treatment is usually performed as soon as possible to avoid further bone damage or life threatening complications. There is no report on the radiographic change in patients with untreated infected total hip arthroplasty (THA) for several years.

Objective: Report radiographic change in patients with untreated infected THA.

Method: Two patients presented with chronic septic loosening of cemented acetabular fixation after total hip replacement at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. Both patients had mild hip pain and had been lost for follow-up until the bone destruction became very severe. Serial radiographs after the surgeries were evaluated. The Paprosky’s acetabular bone loss classification was used to classify the radiographic findings.

Results: Based on the Paprosky’s classification for acetabular bone loss, there were two similar atypical radiographic findings found in both patients. These included pelvic discontinuity from extensive medial acetabular bone loss beyond the Kohler’s line, and minimal superior and inferior acetabular bone loss.

Conclusion: These atypical radiographic findings were rarely observed in septic acetabular loosening patients, as infection usually causes patients to present earlier. Following the septic acetabular loosening of THA, surgical procedure should be performed before massive bone damage was demonstrated.