Extract
Total hip arthroplasty is one of the most clinically efficacious and
cost-effective medical interventions. Surgeons and scientists have continued
to produce a tremendous amount of research data related to clinical outcomes,
biomaterials, surgical techniques, treatment of complications, and
socioeconomic analysis. Between April 2004 and April 2005, fifty-five reports
related to total hip arthroplasty were published in The Journal of Bone
and Joint Surgery (American Volume), 140 were published in the
Journal of Arthroplasty, and sixty-eight were published in
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. In addition, 190
abstracts on this topic were presented at the annual meeting of the American
Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, forty-two were presented at the annual
meeting of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, and eighty were
presented at the fall and spring meetings of the Hip Society. There were also
numerous abstracts and papers from the Orthopaedic Research Society and
reports in other peer-reviewed publications. We have organized this review
update into seven sections: (1) primary total hip arthroplasty (including
surface arthroplasty), (2) revision, (3) bearing surface, (4) minimal incision
surgery, (5) complications, (6) practice management, and (7) cost analysis.
Special focus is given to two of these topics: bearing surfaces and cost
analysis.