8. Stress Raisers, Fracture, and Fatigue

Sixty-eight-year-old Martha Mainstream had a replacement arthroplasty for her hip three years ago for severe osteoarthritis. Because she no longer had to utilize a cane to get around, the operation changed her life, and she was relieved of the nearly constant pain in her groin and down her thigh. As a matter of fact, she had resumed walking and swimming for exercise and had lost 20 pounds of excess weight. Alas, when was went out ot feed her cats, she slipped on some wet grass and sustained a fracture of her femur well below the prosthetic femoral stem. She underwent surgery again and had a large bone plate applied across the fracture, shown in figure 8.1. What problems are likely to arise from having two metal devices close together in this fashion?