The October 2013 Hip & Pelvis Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Young and impinging; Clothes, weather and femoral heads?; Go long, go cemented; Surgical repair of the abductors?; Aspirin for DVT prophylaxis?; Ceramic-on-polyethylene: a low-wear solution?; ALVAL and ASR™: the story continues….; Salvaging Legg-Calve-Perthes’ disease

Hip replacement is a very successful operation and the outcome is usually excellent. There are recognised complications that seem increasingly to give rise to litigation. This paper briefly examines some common scenarios where litigation may be pursued against hip surgeons. With appropriate record keeping, consenting and surgical care, the claim can be successfully defended if not avoided. We hope this short summary will help to highlight some common pitfalls. There is extensive literature available for detailed study.

The August 2013 Hip & Pelvis Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: are we getting it right first time?; tantalum augments in revision hip surgery; lower wear in dual mobility?; changing faces changes outcomes; synovial fluid aspiration in MOM hips; taper disease: the new epidemic of hip surgery; the super-obese and THR; and whether well fixed stems can remain in infected hips

Metal-on-metal (MoM) hip resurfacing was developed in the 1990s by surgeons in Birmingham, UK, as a surgical solution to the problem of osteoarthritis in younger, more active patients. Early results were promising and the procedure gained in popularity. However, adverse reports of soft-tissue reaction and failure started to appear from 2008 onwards. Surgeons may be asked to write medico-legal reports on the surgical aspects of an individual case for claimant lawyers or in defence for the NHSLA or indemnity insurers. The purpose of this article is to cover some of the aspects of the operation that may be considered in such medico-legal reports.