What prompts revision total hip arthroplasty?
The need for revision total hip arthroplasty stems more from surgical error than prosthetic design flaw, according to new survey findings. Researchers analyzed a nationwide hospital survey conducted between October 2005 and December 2006. The data pertained to hip replacement surgery revisions that were performed after initial hip-surgery failure. The survey identified 51,000 hip-revision surgeries. The most common type of revision total hip-arthroplasty procedure was all-component revision, accounting for 41% of cases. The most common causes of revision were instability or dislocation of the initial hip device (23%), mechanical loosening of the device (20%), and infection that originated during surgery or later (15%). “We found causes of hip-replacement failure that we hadn’t believed were the most common causes but that we now know are significant concerns and should be investigated further,” said lead researcher Dr. Kevin Bozic, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and health
