OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between mild consciousness and mental disorders after arthroplasty and incomplete cerebral fat embolism.

METHODSA retrospective analysis of 12 patients with incomplete cerebral fat embolism after arthroplasty was performed from June 2004 to December 2011. There were 5 males and 7 females,ranging in age from 36 to 82 years old,averaged 56.8 years old. Four patients had femoral neck fractures; 3 patients had avascular necrosis of the femoral head; 3 patients had rheumatoid arthritis; 1 patient had ankylosed hip and 1 patient had knee osteoarthritis. The patients had consciousness and mental disorders after arthroplasty (femoral head replacement in 3 cases, total hip replacement in 7 cases, and knee joint surface replacement in 2 cases), changes of vital sign and abnormal brain MRI examination.

RESULTSTwelve patients had mild consciousness and mental disorders,and the NIHSS score was 1.92+/-3.78,which was correlated with incomplete cerebral fat embolism after arthroplasty. The patients recovered conscious within 24 to 72 hours after treatment with expansion of blood volume,dehydrating agent and neuroprotective drugs,improving respiratory and circulatory function, hormone protection and antibiotic application. The patients were followed up with a mean period of 18 months (ranging from 10 to 36 months). The patients had neurological function recovering to normal without sequelae, and the NIHSS score decreased to 0.

CONCLUSIONIncomplete cerebral fat embolism after arthroplasty is the main reason causing mild awareness and mental disorders, which is often to be misdiagnosed or ignored because of not typical clinical manifestations.