Introduction: During the last decade the treatment regime for dislocated femoral neck fractures has switched towards more arthroplasties. There has been apprehensions regarding long-term results for arthroplasties. The opinion has been put forward that preserving the femoral head is preferable to performing total hip arthroplasty.

Methods: 409 of the 450 patients in a randomized study 1995–97 had valid follow-up at 4 months, 1, 2, 5, and 10 years (or until deceased). Mentally intact, independently living and walking patients over 70 years were included and randomized to osteosynthesis (n=217) or arthroplasty (n=192).

Results: After 10 years 168 patients (77 percent) were deceased and there were 99 failures (46 percent) in the osteosynthesis group. In the arthroplasty group 145 patients (76 percent) were deceased and there were 17 failures (9 percent) after 10 years. Both groups had the same rate of failure between 2 and 10 years.

There was significantly better results regarding pain and function in the arthroplasty group at 4 months. At 10 years the results were still not superior for osteosynthesis.

A Cox regression analysis regarding sex, age, time to surgery, smoking, osteoporosis, trauma type, preoperative function and choice of skin incision comparing the patients without hip complications at 10 years with the patients with failures in each group revealed no risk factor for failure.

Discussion: Arthroplasty for hip fracture show a reliable long-term result while osteosynthesis leads to a high rate of complications and is not superior regarding pain and function even when successful. Both methods have the same mortality.

25 RA patients with their ankles fused with an intramedullary nail were compared to 35 RA patients with their ankles fused with compression screws.

24/25 nailed patients showed radiographic healing at follow-up after 3 (1–8) years, and 26/35 ankles in the compression screw group examined after 6 (1–14) years healed after the first attempt and another 5 after repeat surgery.

In the nailed group 23 patients were satisfied and 2 somewhat satisfied. In the compression screw group 20 were satisfied, 12 somewhat satisfied and 3 dissatisfied.

There were 4 deep infections (3 healed after nail extraction and antibiotics, one unhealed) in the nail group and 1 deep infection (healed after antibiotics) in the compression screw group.

Six patients in the nailed group also had a permanent plantar sensory loss.

Conclusion: Ankle fusion with retrograde intramedullary nailing seems to result in a high rate of healing and satisfied patients, but cares a substantial risk of deep infection compared to fusion with compression screws, which has a lower fusion rate fewer satisfied patients, but less complications.

RA patients with a normal subtalar joint are of course only managed by compression screws.

We made a study of 49 total hip arthroplasties at five years, comparing the Charnley hip score, the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) score and the appearance on serial radiographs. Each of the three investigations was performed by an independent observer with no knowledge of the results of the other two studies. The eight patients with radiographic signs of prosthetic loosening had significant reductions in function and quality of life as measured by the NHP questionnaire, but no differences in the mean Charnley hip scores. None of the eight patients had clinical signs of prosthetic loosening sufficient to recommend revision of their THR. The NHP is a relatively low-cost method of providing long-term follow-up of THR.

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.

In an experimental clinical study, 25 implants of pure titanium were inserted into the proximal tibia of 11 volunteer patients, four with rheumatoid arthritis and seven with osteoarthritis. The implants were removed from five weeks to 24 months later and detailed histological analysis was performed. The implants generally healed with direct bone-metal contact, showing so-called osseointegration. Only one of the 21 implants which had been in place for over five months did not show osseointegration, probably because of inadequate primary contact with bone. The presence of rheumatoid disease did not prevent osseointegration, but accompanying osteoporosis seemed to be a risk factor.

After the simultaneous administration of radiocalcium and radiophosphorus to young rats the rate of deposition of calcium and of phosphorus in various skeletal parts was computed. Agreement was found between the two sets of data. No difference was thus found in the metabolism of the calcium and of the phosphorus of the bone salt.