Increased incidence of primary total hip replacement in rural communities

Previous studies of the incidence of total hip replacement operations have been based on large heterogeneous populations.1 From crude data based on large geographic areas, an increased incidence has been suggested in rural populations of Scotland. However, the population distribution within these areas might alter the significance of these results.2 We used the smallest geographical areas for which reliable population data were available to determine the incidence of total hip replacement in urban and rural populations.