Total arthroplasty was performed on 21 congenitally dislocated hips in 18 women. In all cases the femoral head was dislocated cranially at least one-fifth of the height of the pelvis. The components were both cemented, the acetabulum being replaced to its original position. The acetabular roof was reconstructed by bone graft in 13 hips, and trochanteric osteotomy was done in 18 hips. The patients were assessed at a median follow-up time of 7.5 years when their median age was 54 years. Nine patients had been revised or required revision. At follow-up the average functional score (according to Charnley) was 6 for pain, 4 for walking ability and 5 for range of motion. The Harris hip score was 82. The patients' subjective evaluation of their satisfaction with the late results on a visual analogue scale was 93, range 23 to 100. The high loosening rate in such patients demands regular follow-up and preparedness for revision surgery.

In 50 patients with non-infected total hip arthroplasties (THA), 233 C-reactive protein (CRP) values were obtained over a three-year period. Six of these 50 patients occasionally had CRP values of over 20 mg/l. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and CRP concentration were measured in 23 patients with deep infections of THA before revision. In 11 patients the infections were caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci. CRP exceeded 20 mg/l in 18 patients and the ESR was more than 30 mm/hr in 14. In only one infected patient were both CRP and ESR below these levels. All of 33 patients with non-septic loosening had CRP less than 20 mg/l and ESR less than 30 mm/hr before revision. C-reactive protein seems to be a valuable supplement to the ESR in the monitoring of infection after THA.