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Fatal fat embolism complicating cemented total knee replacement: another manifestation of the metabolic syndrome?

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Abstract

We report the case of a 52-year-old man who died of massive fat emboli 39 h after undergoing elective total knee replacement. His past medical history included hypertension, obesity and diabetes (most of the clusters of the metabolic syndrome). Post-mortem pathological examination showed fat embolism in the kidneys and the brain. This is the first reported case of fat emboli as the cause of death in an association with metabolic syndrome, and the case suggests that the fat embolism should be anticipated in over weight and obese individuals with three or more of the risk factors of the metabolic syndrome.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Wessex Cardiothoracic Unit, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK

    Rasheed A. Saad

  2. Department of Orthopaedics, University Hospital of Cairo, Cairo, Egypt

    Amr A. Fahmy

  3. Department of Chemical Pathology, Southampton General Hospital, Mail point 6, Level D, South Academic Block, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK

    Mohamed H. Ahmed

Authors
  1. Rasheed A. Saad
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  2. Amr A. Fahmy
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  3. Mohamed H. Ahmed
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohamed H. Ahmed.

Additional information

All human studies have been reviewed by appropriate ethics committee and have therefore been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in an appropriate version of the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki. All persons gave their informed consent prior to their inclusion in the study.

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Saad, R.A., Fahmy, A.A. & Ahmed, M.H. Fatal fat embolism complicating cemented total knee replacement: another manifestation of the metabolic syndrome?. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 127, 387–389 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-006-0268-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-006-0268-5

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