Introduction:

Anterior dislocation is a rare complication of total hip arthroplasty (THA). There exist only three cases in the literature. None of them report disassembly of the prosthesis components. We present a morbidly obese woman who suffered an irreducible obturator dislocation of an infected total hip arthroplasty (THA), due to uncontrolled adduction during an early debridement surgery. Following unsuccessful closed reduction attempts, a Vancouver B2 periprosthetic fracture and disassembly of the prosthetic components were observed. Two-stage revision THA was necessary to resolve the infection and restore hip functionality. In obturator dislocation, the femoral head prosthetic can be trapped in the obturator foramen, and this may disassemble the prosthesis components during reduction maneuvers; there’s also risk of periprosthetic fracture. This mandate an open reduction of the joint. Patient obesity could be a determining factor for this rare type of hip arthroplasty dislocation. Obturator dislocation is an extremely rare complication of the total hip arthroplasty, whose reductions should be handled with caution given the risks of periprosthetic fractures. In most cases, an open reduction of the joint is required.

Clinical importance:

Our work is likely to be of great interest because it offers tips for the management of this rare complication based on our experience.