Intraoperative Fat Embolism During Core Decompression and Bone Grafting for Osteonecrosis of the Hip: Report of 3 Cases and Literature Review

Osteonecrosis (ON) of the femoral head, without timely intervention, often progresses to debilitating hip arthritis.

Core decompression (CD) with bone grafting was used to treat patients with early-stage ON. In 3 cases, intraoperative oxygen saturation, end-tidal carbon dioxide fluctuations, and/or vital sign fluctuations were observed during insertion of the graft, a mixture of bone marrow and demineralized bone matrix. In 1 case, continued postoperative pulmonary symptoms required admission to intensive care.

In this article, we describe these cases and provide supporting evidence that they were caused by fat emboli secondary to forceful insertion of bone graft. We review the literature and present complications data.

Although no cases of fat emboli were reported as complications of any CD series with or without bone grafting, CD augmented with bone graft may carry risks not seen before in CD alone. Care should be taken to avoid these complications, possibly through technique modification.