[Nerve lesions after hip prosthesis implantation--fate or treatment error?].

INTRODUCTION

Nerve lesions after hip arthroplasty are common complications which may imply the reproach of a treatment mistake. Thus, the decisive question to the expert runs: fate or treatment mistake?

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of all cases dealt with at the medical expert commission of the General Medical Council Nordrhein during 1977-1997 in respect of the damage mechanisms and expert judgments.

RESULTS

As long as diagnosis and therapy were set on time, nerve lesions after hip arthroplasty due to extension, pressure or placement of the leg were evaluated as fateful (81%). Delayed treatment as well as incorrect operation technique, -indication, or inadequate documentation were judged as a treatment mistake (19%).

CONCLUSION

Nerve lesions after hip arthroplasty cannot always be avoided and thus do not directly imply a treatment mistake. Immediate therapy and precise documentation are important to minimize the damage.