Fat Embolism Syndrome Complicated by Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage After a Minimally Displaced Tibia Fracture

Abstract

Case: A 26-year-old man with a minimally displaced tibial shaft fracture after an all-terrain vehicle crush injury rapidly developed fat embolism syndrome (FES), leading to diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) preoperatively. He was treated with an intramedullary rod 10 days after injury after a complicated clinical course and went on to full union with no long-term mental or systemic sequelae.Conclusions: FES is a known complication of long bone fractures, frequently presenting with hypoxemia. DAH is a rare complication of the condition. This case demonstrates the need for a high index of suspicion both for FES and DAH as complications of orthopaedic trauma.Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSCC/C77).