Bladder perforation by orthopedic implants 26 years after limb-sparing surgery for left proximal femoral chondrosarcoma: A case report

INTRODUCTION: The need for implant use during orthopedic surgeries has been increasing. Accordingly, increased implant failures have been reported. However, bladder perforation remains a rare complication after orthopedic surgery. Although a few reports have described bladder perforation after total hip arthroplasty, no previous studies have reported the migration of staples into the bladder after limb-sparing surgery. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 65-year-old patient underwent limb-sparing surgery to remove a chondrosarcoma in the left proximal thigh. Twenty-six years after surgery, a staple that had been used to fix artificial ligaments to the pubis migrated to perforate the bladder, resulting in painful urination. The staple was removed, and her symptoms improved. DISCUSSION: In this case, bladder perforation by the staple resulted in painful urination. The bladder perforation was not detected until 26 years after the initial surgery. CONCLUSION: Our observations emphasize that implant complications may occur even after a long postoperative period, and the possibility of delayed bladder perforation from previous pelvic surgeries should be considered in patients presenting with urinary tract symptoms.