3 Telltale Signs of a Periprosthetic Fracture

If you’ve had a hip or knee joint replacement, it’s possible to get a fracture near your prosthetic joint. This type of injury, called a periprosthetic fracture, is rare (e.g., affecting about 1% of total hip replacements), but when it occurs, you need to seek help from a specialist right away.

Board-certified orthopedic surgeon Kevin Park, MD, and our team have extensive experience repairing joints. At his private practice in Houston, Texas, Dr. Park evaluates your injury to determine the best way to stabilize your bone and joint replacement so you can avoid complications that can result from periprosthetic fractures.

It’s important to recognize the signs of a periprosthetic fracture so you can get immediate treatment. Keep reading to learn what you need to know about this serious injury.

Periprosthetic fractures 101

If you fall, are in an accident, or suffer a direct blow to a joint that’s been replaced, the bone surrounding the prosthetic can break. This injury, called a periprosthetic fracture, can also be the result of repetitive stress on the joint or because of preexisting osteoporosis.

This serious complication requires surgery to repair the bone and stabilize the joint.

By using an X-ray machine and/or CT scan, Dr. Park evaluates your injury to determine the fracture’s severity. He considers the strength and quality of the bone around your prosthetic implant and how much force created the injury.

As more and more people have total joint replacements and the population lives longer with prosthetic joints, this type of injury is becoming more frequent. Certain factors increase your risk of getting a periprosthetic fracture after a total joint replacement, including:

Being female
Advanced age (over 65)
Osteoporosis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Osteolysis

Your risk also increases if you’ve had revision surgery to an existing joint replacement.

Three signs you have a periprosthetic fracture

Most periprosthetic fractures occur years after your initial joint replacement surgery when you fall or have an accident. This type of injury is typically very painful, and it’s difficult to miss the telltale signs, which include:

Having swelling or bruising near the replaced joint
Being unable to bear weight or walk using the injured leg
Having an injured leg that looks shorter than the other leg or deformed in some way

Again, most of the time, periprosthetic fractures happen as the result of an accident, blow to the joint, or fall. If you have the above symptoms without such an event, schedule an appointment with Dr. Park, because an underlying bone condition or stress fracture could be the cause.

Treating a periprosthetic fracture

Almost all periprosthetic fractures require surgery to repair, although the technique may vary depending on the location and type of your fracture, the quality of your bone, and the state of the implant.

During periprosthetic fracture surgery, if your implant is loose and no longer affixed to the bone, Dr. Park replaces the prosthetic joint components during surgery. He also repairs and stabilizes the injured bone, keeping it in the correct place using screws, plates, or rods if necessary.

Some patients with weak or deteriorated bones may also need a bone graft to strengthen the damaged bone. The entire surgery generally takes several hours, and you may need to stay in the hospital for a few days as you recover.

Learn more about periprosthetic fractures and how Dr. Park repairs them by scheduling an appointment over the phone or online at our Houston, Texas, office.