Bipolar Hemiarthroplasty in a Patient with above-knee Amputation: Surgical Technique.

INTRODUCTION: Femoral neck fractures are a common occurrence in lower limb amputees. Good post-operative results of hip hemiarthroplasty have been described in below-knee amputees. However, to our knowledge, very few such cases have been reported in above-knee amputees.

CASE REPORT: We present a case of a 75-year-old male patient who underwent above-knee amputation of the right lower limb for severe crush injury right leg and a bipolar hemiarthroplasty for an ipsilateral fracture neck of femur sustained in the same road traffic accident. The treatment of neck of femur fracture in above-knee amputee patients is always a challenge for the orthopedic surgeon. We described the surgical technique in an attempt to overcome the challenges encountered in such a setting.

CONCLUSION: While performing a hemiarthroplasty in an above-knee amputee, we recommend the use of two perpendicularly placed Schanz pins distally in the subtrochanteric area for control and also as a guide for verifying the version during prosthesis placement.