Bladder Tear During Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) and revision total hip arthroplasty are among the most commonly performed orthopedic procedures. There are many reported complications of THA, but intrapelvic complications are a rare subset. Bladder injuries have infrequently been described in association with this common procedure.

We present an unusual case of a bladder tear occurring intraoperatively during a revision THA. It is suspected that the patient’s history of multiple prior hip procedures caused adhesions of the bladder to the pelvic floor and predisposed the bladder to injury during acetabular revision.

Previous reports of bladder injury relating to THA have described thermal necrosis, component migration, and occasional direct perforation. There are no prior case reports describing bladder tears related to adhesions occurring intraoperatively during revision THA.

This case report highlights the importance of surgeon awareness of an unusual complication. In this case, intraoperative and postoperative recognition of a hematuria diagnosis led to the appropriate treatment, and this patient had an acceptable outcome.