We have used the Oxford hip score to monitor the progress of 1908 primary and 279 revision hip replacements undertaken since the start of 1995. Our review programme began in early 1999 and has generated 3900 assessments. The mean pre-operative scores for primary and revision cases were 40.95 and 40.11, respectively. The mean annual score for primary replacement at between 12 and 84 months ranged between 20.60 and 22.57. A comparison of cross-sectional and longitudinal data showed no significant differences. All post-operative reviews showed a significant improvement (p ≤ 0.0001). The 50- to 60-year-old group scored significantly better than the patients over 80 years of age up to 48 months (p < 0.01). A subgroup of 826 National Health Service (NHS) and 397 private patients, treated by the senior author (2292 Oxford assessments), had a higher (i.e. worse) mean pre-operative score for the NHS patients (p ≤ 0.001). The private patients scored better than the NHS group up to 84 months (p < 0.05). Patients treated by a surgeon performing more than 100 replacements each year had a significantly better outcome up to five years than those operated on by surgeons performing fewer than 20 replacements each year. The age of the patients at the time of operation, and their pre-operative level of disability, have both been identified as affecting the long-term outcome. Awareness of the influence of these factors should assist surgeons to provide balanced advice

1. Two types of paralytic dislocation of the hips are discussed. 2. The mechanics of dislocation and the methods of reduction are described, with emphasis on the importance of maintaining or increasing stability where possible

1. A brief summary is given of the literature on patients with a dislocated hip and a fractured femur on the same side. 2. One further patient is reported, treated by closed reduction of the hip and the fracture. 3. A warning is given on the frequency with which the dislocation is not diagnosed in this double injury

1. Three cases of osteochondromatosis of the hip joint are described. 2. Attention is drawn to the diagnostic importance of erosions at the junction of head and neck of the femur, and the conical shape of the femoral neck. 3. Arthrography is of particular value in diagnosis when the loose bodies are radio-translucent

Peri-prosthetic fracture after joint replacement in the lower limb is associated with significant morbidity. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of peri-prosthetic fracture after total hip replacement (THR) and total knee replacement (TKR) over a ten-year period using a population-based linked dataset. Between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 2008, 52 136 primary THRs, 8726 revision THRs, 44 511 primary TKRs, and 3222 revision TKRs were performed. Five years post-operatively, the rate of fracture was 0.9% after primary THR, 4.2% after revision THR, 0.6% after primary TKR and 1.7% after revision TKR. Comparison of survival analysis for all primary and revision arthroplasties showed peri-prosthetic fractures were more likely in females, patients aged > 70 and after revision arthroplasty. Female patients aged > 70 should be warned of a significantly increased risk of peri-prosthetic fracture after hip or knee replacement. The use of adjuvant medical treatment to reduce the effect of peri-prosthetic osteoporosis may be a direction of research for these patients

We have followed up a series of total hip arthroplasties performed for secondary osteoarthritis and analysed the results in relation to the osteoblastic response to the disease. This was assessed pre-operatively from the radiographic appearance, according to Bombelli's criteria (1983). Of 63 hips in 55 patients followed up for five to 13 years, 17 were hypertrophic, 24 normotrophic and 22 atrophic in type. The atrophic-type hips showed a high incidence of acetabular loosening, leading to unsatisfactory clinical results in 32%. By contrast, the hypertrophic-type hips had a low incidence of acetabular loosening, while the normotrophic type showed intermediate results. It was concluded that the osteoblastic response to osteoarthritis is closely related to acetabular loosening and to late clinical failure

We describe an apparently unreported finding during hip operations: a tear at the insertion of gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. This defect may well be known to many surgeons with experience of hip replacement and hemiarthroplasty for fractures of the neck of the femur, but a Medline search has failed to find a previous description. We made a prospective study of 50 consecutive patients with fractures of the neck of the femur to quantify the incidence of this condition: 11 (22%) had such a tear

1. The indications for and technique of posterior iliopsoas transplantation are described with particular reference to paralytic dislocation and subluxation of the hip in children. 2. Experience of 150 operations in ninety-five patients and of the long-term results of forty-one operations are given. 3. Reduction of the dislocation has been maintained in every case even when there was complete paralysis of all gluteal muscles. 4. All the children are able to walk without the aid of hip splintage

We reviewed 14 patients (16 hips) treated by open reduction and upper femoral derotation osteotomy for congenital dislocation of the hip. Nine patients with 11 treated hips had growth deformities of the proximal femur; in all of them the top screw of the fixation plate lay within the cartilaginous precursor of the greater trochanter. In the five control hips the top screw was more distal. In the nine patients (mean follow-up 10.8 years) there was an increase of 14 degrees in the neck-shaft angle (p = 0.01) and of 18 degrees in the angle between the capital femoral physis and the shaft (p = 0.01) compared to the control group. This indicates that growth disturbance of the greater trochanteric apophysis as a result of plate fixation leads to long-term deformity

We performed rotational acetabular osteotomy in order to treat dysplasia of the hip in five ambulatory adults with cerebral palsy. There was one man and four women, with a mean age of 21 years (16 to 27) who were followed up for a mean of 12 years and two months. The mean Sharp angle improved from 52° to 43°, the mean acetabular index from 30.2° to 2.8°, the mean centre-edge angle from −5.6° to 29.2°, and the mean acetabular head index from 49.2 to 88.2. There was no progression of joint degeneration and relief from pain was maintained. Our results suggest that rotational acetabular osteotomy is a valuable option for the treatment of acetabular dysplasia in adults with cerebral palsy who have incapacitating pain in the hip

Sixty-five total hip arthroplastics were reinserted after sepsis around the hip, positive cultures being obtained from fifty-six. Although 65 per cent of patients still have their implant in position, only sixteen of sixty-five (25 per cent) show an excellent or good result on a Harris rating. Twenty-three of sixty-five (35 per cent) subsequently required an excision arthroplasty. The indications and contraindications for this procedure are given

Resurfacing arthroplasty of the hip is being performed more frequently in the United Kingdom. The majority of these patients are younger than 55 years of age, and in this group the key benefits include conservation of femoral bone stock and the potential reduction in the rate of dislocation afforded by the larger resurfacing head. Early aseptic loosening is well recognised in patients younger than 55 years of age, and proponents of resurfacing believe that the improved wear characteristics of the metal-on-metal bearing may improve the long-term survival of this implant. There has been some concern, however, that resurfacing may not be conservative of acetabular bone. We compared a series of 33 consecutive patients who had a hybrid total hip arthroplasty with an uncemented acetabular component and a cemented femoral implant, with 35 patients undergoing a Birmingham hip resurfacing arthroplasty. We compared the diameter of the implanted acetabulum in both groups and, because they were not directly comparable, we corrected for patient size by measuring the diameter of the contralateral femoral head. The data were analysed using unpaired t-tests and analysis of covariance. There was a significantly larger acetabulum in the Birmingham arthroplasty group (mean diameter 56.6 mm vs 52.0 mm; p < 0.001). However, this group had a significantly larger femoral head diameter on the contralateral side (p = 0.03). Analysis of covariance revealed a significant difference between the mean size of the acetabular component implanted in the two operations. The greatest difference in the size of acetabulum was in those patients with a larger diameter of the femoral head. This study shows that more bone is removed from the acetabulum in hip resurfacing than during hybrid total hip arthroplasty, a difference which is most marked in larger patients

Although arthroscopy of the hip is being carried out increasingly, little is known about the rate of associated complications. We describe a prospective study of 640 consecutive procedures in which a consistent technique was used. The overall complication rate was 1.6%. Complications, none of which was major or long-term, included transient palsy of the sciatic and femoral nerves, perineal injury, bleeding from the portal wounds, trochanteric bursitis and intra-articular breakage of the instrument. We believe that it is possible to undertake this operation safely using the technique described

Aims. The present study seeks to investigate the correlation of pubofemoral distances (PFD) to α angles, and hip displaceability status, defined as femoral head coverage (FHC) or FHC during manual provocation of the newborn hip < 50%. Methods. We retrospectively included all newborns referred for ultrasound screening at our institution based on primary risk factor, clinical, and PFD screening. α angles, PFD, FHC, and FHC at follow-up ultrasound for referred newborns were measured and compared using scatter plots, linear regression, paired t-test, and box-plots. Results. We included 2,735 newborns, of whom 754 received a follow-up hip ultrasound within six weeks of age. After exclusion, 1,500 hips were included for analysis. Sex distribution was 372 male and 380 female, and the mean age at examination was 36.6 days (4 to 87). We found a negative linear correlation of PFD to α angles (p < 0.001), FHC (p < 0.001), and FHC during provocation (p < 0.001) with a 1 mm increase in PFD corresponding to a -2.1° (95% confidence interval (CI) -2.3 to -1.9) change in α angle and a -3.4% (95% CI -3.7 to -3.0) change in FHC and a -6.0% (-6.6 to -5.5) change in FHC during provocation. The PFD was significantly higher with increasing Graf types and in displaceable hips (p < 0.001). Conclusion. PFD is strongly correlated to both α angles and hip displaceability, as measured by FHC and FHC during provocation, in ultrasound of newborn hips. The PFD increases as the hips become more dysplastic and/or displaceable. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;5(1):3–8

Patients with myelomeningocele who had had surgery to stabilise the hip were reviewed; the results of the 106 operations in 88 patients were assessed. In the earlier part of the series there were 55 children who had 64 iliopsoas transfers; later in the series 33 children had 42 varus-rotation osteotomies combined with adductor tenotomy, anterior obturator neurectomy and psoas division. The technical results of both operations were satisfactory: following iliopsoas transfer only 19% of the hips were either dislocated or subluxated; the corresponding figure for the osteotomy was 12%. Thus varus-rotation osteotomy with psoas division, adductor tenotomy and anterior obturator neurectomy was at least as effective in stabilising the hip as iliopsoas transfer. Nevertheless 80% of the latter and 61% of the osteotomy patients relied on wheelchairs for mobility

1. In fifteen patients with unilateral osteoarthritis of the hip bilateral measurements of the intraosseous pressure of the femoral neck and determination of femoral vein pressure were done simultaneously. These pressure examinations were followed by bilateral intraosseous phlebography of the proximal part of the femur. 2. In a second series of fifteen patients the intraosseous pressures of the femoral head and neck were measured simultaneously before operation for osteoarthritis. 3. The pressure in the femoral vein was equal on the two sides. The intraosseous pressure in the femoral neck was always higher in the arthritic hip than on the unaffected side. In hips with osteoarthritis the pressure in the femoral head was higher than the pressure in the neck. 4. Intraosseous phlebography indicated a state of intramedullary venous engorgement in osteoarthritis. The normal channels for venous drainage from the femoral head and neck were not visible in the phlebographs from the arthritic side. Instead, drainage took place through descending intramedullary vessels to the trochanteric region and down into the femoral shaft. The emptying of intraosseous contrast material from the arthritic hip was delayed. 5. The phlebographs indicated that the abnormally high intraosseous pressure observed in osteoarthritis is caused by a high resistance to flow across the cortex of the proximal part of the femur. 6. The aching rest pain typical of severe osteoarthritis was noted only in patients with intraosseous femoral neck pressure above 40 millimetres of mercury, an indication that this type of pain is caused by intramedullary hypertension. The decrease of arteriovenous pressure difference, caused by increase of resistance to venous outflow, is probably accompanied by disturbances of nutritive flow. This "venous ischaemia" may play an important role for the structural changes of cancellous bone in osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, as seen in the hip, is a disease which eventually embraces all the tissues of the joint but begins as a reaction of the juxta-chondral blood vessels to a degeneration of the articular cartilage; this reaction results in a hyperaemia of the bone. To our surprise we found that daily use preserves rather than "wears out" articular cartilage; indeed inadequate use is the commonest cause of cartilage degeneration and ensuing vascular invasion. To this factor are added the effects of excessive pressure in the many patients who require surgical treatment for advanced osteoarthritis of a hip the seat of some anatomical incongruity. This etiology based on cartilage suffering does not exclude, but indeed explains, the osteoarthritis implanted on joints of a normal shape which have been previously affected by acute or chronic inflammation or by hormonal dysfunction, such as acromegalic osteoarthritis. The stimulus to vessel growth and invasion is the same in all these cases—namely cartilage damage. Once the vessels have entered the cartilage the bone and marrow of the osteophyte are inevitably laid down. What is so damaging in osteoarthritis seems to be not the degeneration of the cartilage but the vigorous and persistent attempt at repair, an attempt which aggravates the already disordered function of the joint not only by osteophyte formation but by the hypervascularity which weakens the structure of the bone beyond the point where it can carry its increased load. The collapse that follows provokes further reparative efforts with the same deplorable results. The osteoarthritic process thus appears to be an attempt to transform a decaying joint into a youthful one and for this, as in the miraculous rejuvenation depicted in Goethe's Faust, a high price must ultimately be paid

1. Septic arthritis of the hip in adults is not common and the diagnosis can be difficult. The value of diagnostic aspiration is emphasised. 2. Predisposing causes in fifty patients are analysed and the possible relationship to pelvic infection is discussed. 3. Loss of joint space is occasionally seen within one week of the onset of the infection. 4. A method of treatment is suggested and the value of decompression by arthrotomy is discussed

1. A simple technique of arthrodesis of the hip is described. 2. Two triflanged nails are driven across the joint. The joint is not opened. No bone graft and no extensive fixation is used. 3. Symptoms were relieved in 90 per cent of patients and bony union was achieved in 63 per cent. Backache after operation was not a problem. 4. The period of hospitalisation was short and rapid return to heavy work was common

We studied the risk of recurrent dislocation in 121 primary and 39 revision Charnley or Charnley hybrid total hip arthroplasties which had been treated for a primary dislocation between 1979 and 1995. Only 35% of these hips had no further dislocation or a revision for instability within one year. The rates of survival gradually declined with time or if a second, third or fourth dislocation occurred. The risk of recurrence was greater in men, but was not related to age, diagnosis, time of the first dislocation or whether the index operation had been a primary or a revision procedure. Operative treatment included 15 reoperations leaving intact components, 50 revisions, and permanent removal of the femoral stem in seven patients. The operation was successful in four patients with reoperations and in 36 who had an exchange procedure within two years. Treatment was successful in 35 of 49 hips in which it was possible to correct a technical error compared with 5 out of 16 hips in which malposition of the components was not seen (p = 0.007)