Periprosthetic femur fracture

Periprosthetic fracture. This case illustrates an important principle about joint prostheses – when there is one present, the entire prosthesis needs to be included on the radiograph. In this example, the patient had some right hip pain following a minor fall. The AP view is unremarkable, except for the fact that the tip of the femoral stem is not included. Fortunately, a lateral view was also performed, which showed an undisplaced fracture at the distal aspect of the stem (arrow).