[Fatal hemorrhage in total endoprosthesis reimplantation. A case report and legal viewpoints].

A 38-year-old female patient with a long history of bilateral dysplasia of the hip died during a TEP-reimplantation of a hemorrhage due to a lesion in the left external iliac artery. The real extent of the atrophy in the left acetabular fossa could not be detected on the preoperative X-ray photograph. A conspicious secondary finding were fixation screws in the well adapted Judet prosthesis on the right side that were projecting up to 2 cm into the pelvis. The results of the autopsy and the special juridical questions involved are demonstrated and discussed.