Routine histopathological examination of femoral heads and incidental metastatic bone disease in hip arthroplasty

Objective: This study aimed to assess the necessity of routine pathological examination of femoral heads in detecting incidental metastatic bone disease in patients undergoing elective and emergency hip arthroplasty. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on medical records, operative note...

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Main Authors: Olgar Birsel, Lercan Aslan, İlker Eren, Mehmet Ali Deveci, Aykın Şimşek
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AVES 2025-03-01
Series:Acta Orthopaedica et Traumatologica Turcica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.aott.org.tr/en/routine-histopathological-examination-of-femoral-heads-and-incidental-metastatic-bone-disease-in-hip-arthroplasty-137443
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author Olgar Birsel
Lercan Aslan
İlker Eren
Mehmet Ali Deveci
Aykın Şimşek
author_facet Olgar Birsel
Lercan Aslan
İlker Eren
Mehmet Ali Deveci
Aykın Şimşek
author_sort Olgar Birsel
collection DOAJ
description Objective: This study aimed to assess the necessity of routine pathological examination of femoral heads in detecting incidental metastatic bone disease in patients undergoing elective and emergency hip arthroplasty. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on medical records, operative notes, and histopathology reports of patients who underwent hip arthroplasty between 2016 and 2024. Patients without pathological evaluation or with known metastases were excluded. The study included patients with hip osteoarthritis undergoing total hip arthroplasty and those with femoral neck fractures undergoing bipolar hemiarthroplasty. Preoperative diagnoses, comorbidities, and operative and histopathological findings were analyzed. Results: The study included 193 patients with femoral neck fractures (mean age: 76.8 years, age range=60 – 98 years) and 257 with osteoarthritis (mean age: 60.4 years, age range= 23 – 88). After excluding 22 femoral neck fracture and 90 osteoarthritis patients, 36 patients in the fracture group and 18 in the osteoarthritis group had a history of malignancy, with 10 and 2 patients, respectively, having known metastases. Incidental metastatic bone disease was identified in four femoral neck fracture patients, while no neoplastic findings were detected in the osteoarthritis group. Conclusion: Routine pathological examination of femoral heads is particularly relevant in femoral neck fracture cases, where the risk of detecting metastatic disease is higher. While thorough preoperative assessments and meticulous intraoperative evaluations aid diagnosis, the decision to submit specimens for pathology should be guided by the surgeon’s clinical judgment and patient-specific factors. Level of Evidence: Level III, Diagnostic Study.
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spelling doaj-art-c26a7bbf5fcd4c539a66f2d2b480d1112025-08-20T03:57:39ZengAVESActa Orthopaedica et Traumatologica Turcica1017-995X2025-03-01591586210.5152/j.aott.2025.24021Routine histopathological examination of femoral heads and incidental metastatic bone disease in hip arthroplastyOlgar Birsel0Lercan Aslan1İlker Eren2Mehmet Ali Deveci3Aykın Şimşek4Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, TürkiyeDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, TürkiyeDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, TürkiyeDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, TürkiyeDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, TürkiyeObjective: This study aimed to assess the necessity of routine pathological examination of femoral heads in detecting incidental metastatic bone disease in patients undergoing elective and emergency hip arthroplasty. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on medical records, operative notes, and histopathology reports of patients who underwent hip arthroplasty between 2016 and 2024. Patients without pathological evaluation or with known metastases were excluded. The study included patients with hip osteoarthritis undergoing total hip arthroplasty and those with femoral neck fractures undergoing bipolar hemiarthroplasty. Preoperative diagnoses, comorbidities, and operative and histopathological findings were analyzed. Results: The study included 193 patients with femoral neck fractures (mean age: 76.8 years, age range=60 – 98 years) and 257 with osteoarthritis (mean age: 60.4 years, age range= 23 – 88). After excluding 22 femoral neck fracture and 90 osteoarthritis patients, 36 patients in the fracture group and 18 in the osteoarthritis group had a history of malignancy, with 10 and 2 patients, respectively, having known metastases. Incidental metastatic bone disease was identified in four femoral neck fracture patients, while no neoplastic findings were detected in the osteoarthritis group. Conclusion: Routine pathological examination of femoral heads is particularly relevant in femoral neck fracture cases, where the risk of detecting metastatic disease is higher. While thorough preoperative assessments and meticulous intraoperative evaluations aid diagnosis, the decision to submit specimens for pathology should be guided by the surgeon’s clinical judgment and patient-specific factors. Level of Evidence: Level III, Diagnostic Study.https://www.aott.org.tr/en/routine-histopathological-examination-of-femoral-heads-and-incidental-metastatic-bone-disease-in-hip-arthroplasty-137443femoral neck fracturehip arthroplastymetastasispathology
spellingShingle Olgar Birsel
Lercan Aslan
İlker Eren
Mehmet Ali Deveci
Aykın Şimşek
Routine histopathological examination of femoral heads and incidental metastatic bone disease in hip arthroplasty
Acta Orthopaedica et Traumatologica Turcica
femoral neck fracture
hip arthroplasty
metastasis
pathology
title Routine histopathological examination of femoral heads and incidental metastatic bone disease in hip arthroplasty
title_full Routine histopathological examination of femoral heads and incidental metastatic bone disease in hip arthroplasty
title_fullStr Routine histopathological examination of femoral heads and incidental metastatic bone disease in hip arthroplasty
title_full_unstemmed Routine histopathological examination of femoral heads and incidental metastatic bone disease in hip arthroplasty
title_short Routine histopathological examination of femoral heads and incidental metastatic bone disease in hip arthroplasty
title_sort routine histopathological examination of femoral heads and incidental metastatic bone disease in hip arthroplasty
topic femoral neck fracture
hip arthroplasty
metastasis
pathology
url https://www.aott.org.tr/en/routine-histopathological-examination-of-femoral-heads-and-incidental-metastatic-bone-disease-in-hip-arthroplasty-137443
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AT ilkereren routinehistopathologicalexaminationoffemoralheadsandincidentalmetastaticbonediseaseinhiparthroplasty
AT mehmetalideveci routinehistopathologicalexaminationoffemoralheadsandincidentalmetastaticbonediseaseinhiparthroplasty
AT aykınsimsek routinehistopathologicalexaminationoffemoralheadsandincidentalmetastaticbonediseaseinhiparthroplasty