Abstract

Our study evaluated the survival and complication rate of 147 total hip arthroplasties at least fifteen years after index surgery. All patients treated in our institution in 1986 with a cemented monoblock prosthesis and a flanged acetabular component were identified and a phone interview could be conducted with 144 (147 hips). No revisions for aseptic loosening were required and only 3 revisions of the index arthroplasty took place : one for infection (after 2 years), one for recurrent dislocation (after 13 years) and one for trochanteric bursitis where the wire was removed after 6 years and revision because of septic loosening was done after 14 years. Heterotopic ossification (HO) graded by means of the last follow-up radiograph showed that more than 50 % of the hips had grade I HO. These results indicate that the technique used for total hip replacement in this study is durable.