Polymethylmethacrylate Venogram after Cemented Arthroplasty of the Hip. A Report of Seven Cases and Review of the Literature

We present seven patients with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) filling the veins accompanying the second perforating branch of the profunda femoris artery detected after primary cemented hip arthroplasty. All implants were cemented utilizing retrograde canal filling with a cement pistol and pressurization. No haemodynamic changes were observed throughout any of the procedures and all patients had an uneventful recovery and evolution. The presence of a PMMA venogram is an infrequent finding after cemented hip arthroplasty. In our seven cases it was not associated with higher peri-operative morbidity. Differential diagnoses must be made with cement extruded through incomplete fractures or through femoral screw holes, as treatment and weightbearing status may differ.