Common femoral artery intimal injury following total hip replacement. A case report and literature review

Vascular injuries diagnosed during the course of total hip arthroplasty (THA) implantations are rare. They must be constantly feared as they sometimes put at risk the vital and functional prognosis of the operated limb. We report the case of a common femoral artery injury diagnosed by arteriography within two days of THA replacement in the presence of atypical symptoms. The vascular damage was caused by an arterial lesion resulting from positioning a retractor on the anterior wall of the acetabulum. A literature review on the topic of vascular complications arising after THA made us aware of multiple possible mechanisms and clinical presentations relating to such complications while identifying specific risk factors in THA replacement cases. Acetabular revision constitutes a major risk situation. Most of these vascular complications may be better prevented or more efficiently treated by thorough preoperative assessment and careful postoperative monitoring.