Fractures of the peritoneal catheter of cerebrospinal fluid shunts.

A retrospective study of fractures of peritoneal catheters of ventriculoperitoneal shunts is described. Fracture of the peritoneal catheter accounts for 21.2% of shunt revisions. During the time period of January 1985 through July 1993, 401 PS Medical peritoneal catheters were installed and 23 fractures occurred. The fracture rate of PS Medical small-sized catheters is 15.3%. The fracture rate of PS Medical regular-sized catheters is 2.1%. The overall survival rates of the PS Medical small-sized and regular-sized catheters are significantly statistically different (p < 0.001). The peritoneal catheters fractured most frequently in the neck.