Timing and Tips for Total Hip Arthroplasty in a Critically Ill Patient With Coronavirus Disease 2019 and a Femoral Neck Fracture

Expedited time to surgery after hip fracture is associated with decreased morbidity and mortality in appropriately optimized patients. However, the optimal timing of surgery in patients with the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection remains unknown. This case report describes a patient with COVID-19 pneumonia complicated by multiorgan system failure requiring intubation who sustained a femoral neck fracture that required total hip arthroplasty. This patient had a significant, deliberate delay in time to surgical intervention because of his critical state. When deciding the optimal timing for total hip arthroplasty in patients with COVID-19, we recommend using inflammatory markers, such as procalcitonin and interleukin-6, as indicators of disease resolution and caution operative intervention when patients are nearing the 7-10th day of COVID-19 symptoms. Furthermore, implant cementation and spinal anesthesia in critically ill COVID-positive patients should be approached cautiously in the setting of pulmonary disease and multiorgan system failure. Close follow-up with medical doctors is recommended to minimize long-term sequelae and delay to baseline mobility.