Pseudarthrosis of Pelvic Fracture With Charcot Arthropathy Successfully Treated With Constrained Total Hip Arthroplasty

Charcot arthropathy is a rapidly progressive and destructive form of arthropathy caused by various neurological diseases. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is usually contraindicated in patients with Charcot arthropathy; however, recent studies have reported good results following THA in this patient population. Herein, we report a case of Charcot arthropathy secondary to syphilis in a patient who was successfully treated with constrained THA, a new type of THA. A 56-year-old man was injured in a car accident, and a displaced acetabular fracture was revealed three weeks later. He was treated conservatively but soon developed greater displacement of the fracture and femoral head destruction. The patient was referred to our hospital for further treatment. The patient had pelvic pseudarthrosis secondary to Charcot arthropathy at the time of the first visit to our hospital. First, THA was performed with the acetabular reconstruction of the deficient bone. However, the acetabular implant was displaced one week postoperatively. THA revision was performed using a constrained cup. Postoperatively, the patient exhibited good hip stability without dislocation. However, displacement of the acetabular cup occurred one year after the second surgery. We performed a re-revision of THA using a new type of constrained cup that offers a high level of constraint to maintain range of motion (ROM) and prevent dislocations. The patient was able to walk with a T-cane one year postoperatively. Herein, we report a difficult case of revision THA in a patient with Charcot arthropathy concomitant with syphilis. THA is usually contraindicated in patients with Charcot arthropathy; however, we propose that THA using constrained cups that offer a wider ROM may be a useful therapeutic strategy for the treatment of Charcot arthropathy.