Abstract
Introduction: The revision of a resection arthroplasty of the hip to total hip arthroplasty is a demanding procedure with higher complication rates than those of primary hip arthroplasty.
Aim: To evaluate the outcome of revising resection arthroplasties and thereby assist in deciding which patients would benefit from the procedure.
Methods: We reviewed the experience of an orthopaedic surgeon (WJMB) who performed revisions of resection arthroplasties to total hip arthroplasties for 10 patients from 1990 to 1999. The reason for resection arthroplasty was established or suspected infection in all patients.
Results: The time since the resection arthroplasty ranged from 12 to 36 months, with an average of 14.7 months. The Harris hip scores with the resection arthroplasties ranged from 21 to 44 with an average of 38.3. The follow-up ranged from one to eight years with an average of 4.2 years. Five patients had died from other causes at the time of the study. The Harris hip scores at the latest follow-up ranged from 46 to 89 with an average of 66.
The complications included instability requiring a constrained acetabular liner, an intra-operative femoral fracture requiring a long-stem prosthesis, the breaching of a femoral cortex by a prosthesis requiring a revision and recurrence of infection in a patient who was non-compliant with the prescribed antibiotics.
Conclusions: The revision of a resection arthroplasty to a total hip arthroplasty is a demanding procedure with a high complication rate and prolonged recovery. Revising only those patients with poorly functioning resection arthroplasties optimises the possibility of a positive surgical outcome, being an improvement in pain and function.
The abstracts were prepared by Professor A. J. Thurston. Correspondence should be addressed to him at the Department of Surgery, Wellington School of Medicine, PO Box 7343, Wellington South, New Zealand
