AAOS Now March 2026: Hip replacement in metastatic disease: Guidance for the non-oncology surgeon

Summary: Every year, millions of Americans get cancer, and many develop bone tumors. Because cancer treatments are getting better, patients are living longer. This means regular orthopedic surgeons are seeing more cancer patients with hip fractures.

For these patients, a hip replacement is usually much better than using standard plates and screws. Why? Because cancer makes the bone too weak to heal properly on its own. Treating these complex fractures requires a big team—including cancer doctors, radiation experts, and pain specialists—to help patients move again and improve their quality of life.

Source: AAOS Now URL: aaos.org/aaosnow/2026/mar/clinical/clinical04/ (opens in new tab)