Late fracture of a Burch-Schneider acetabular cage: rare occurrence following polyethylene cup wear.

We report a case of a 46-year-old male patient who sustained a fracture of the Burch-Schneider anti-protrusio cage (APC) that was implanted 13 years before. The fracture occurred in the transitional area to the proximal flange and was caused by direct and recurrent contact between the prosthetic metal head and the acetabular device. Late failure was related to increased wear of the polyethylene cup further aggravated by vertical orientation of the cage. Revision surgery included acetabular reconstruction using a new APC and cross-linked polyethylene cup, and replacement of the 36 mm diameter ball head. At 18 months follow-up the patient showed a complete functional recovery. When a reconstruction device is used, particularly in a young patient, special attention should be paid to the correct positioning of the cage in order to prevent accelerated polyethylene wear. Furthermore, cross-linked polyethylene cups that have become available in recent years must be used.