Vascular complications following total hip arthroplasty: a case study and a review of the literature

Vascular complications after total hip arthroplasty (THA) are rare but represent a real risk. The diversity of clinical presentations can make diagnosis difficult. They could manifest as an immediate and acute hemorrhage or subsequent ischemia. We report the case of a patient who presented a thrombosis of the femoral artery associated with a sciatic palsy after THA for a coxa profunda. The diagnosis was actually made 3 years after surgery because of atypical symptoms. The mechanism involved was either a crash of the artery by a retractor on the anterior wall of the acetabulum, or a stretching of the artery. A review of the literature of vascular complications occurring after THA recalls the multiplicity of clinical presentations and the diagnostic difficulties. They could manifest as an immediate and acute hemorrhage or deferred ischemia, as in our case. Knowledge of these complications should help prevent them, and the diagnosis should be considered in atypical sequences after THA.