Isolated fracture of the hip stem prosthesis made of austenitic steel - a literature review.

Proper design and functioning of the hip joint ensure smooth motion over the full range in multiple planes. Any change in this arrangement may lead to joint damage, causing deformation, pain and loss of functionality. Hip replacement is a procedure intended to replace the damaged articular surfaces and replacing them with artificial components. However, as any surgical intervention, it carries the risk of serious complications. One of them are isolated stem fractures, consisting of breaking the implant inside the intramedullary canal without damaging the surrounding tissue. This article contains a review of the literature data concerning the clinical cases of isolated fractures of hip endoprosthesis stems made of austenitic stainless steel. Although stem fractures are one of the rarest complications of implantation, the lack of clear description of the causes of this phenomenon in the literature makes it worthwhile to take up on the subject.