We analyzed the early results and complications of surface replacement
arthroplasties of the hip performed at The Hospital for Special Surgery.
Fifty-six hips in fifty-one patients were operated on from August 1977
through April 1979. Fifty-five of these hips in fifty patients were
available for study after an average follow-up of thirty-six months.
Thirty-five hips had an excellent result and thirteen, a good result. Seven
arthroplasties were failures, an alarming number in view of the relatively
short follow-up. Three of the seven failures were in hips with rheumatoid
arthritis, even though only 21 per cent of the hips that had surface
replacement were rheumatoid. As a result of this high failure rate, our
present attitude toward surface replacement is one of caution, especially
in patients with inflammatory arthritis.