Papers Presented at the Hip Society Meetings 2006: Editorial Comment

The 2006 Papers Presented at the Hip Society contains papers read at the 2005 Annual Closed Fall Meeting of the Hip Society, held in Pittsburgh, and the 2006 Open Scientific Winter Meeting of the Hip Society, held in Chicago. The subject matter within this symposium is due to the excellent organization of these two annual scientific meetings by William Capello, MD and James D’Antonio, MD.

The entire spectrum of hip arthroplasty is covered by including topics such as prevention of venous thromboembolism, assessment and treatment of osteolysis, use of alternative bearing surfaces, aspects of hip resurfacing and minimally invasive hip surgery, long-term results of primary femoral fixation, prevention and management of hip instability, and treatment of difficult acetabular and femoral revision procedures. Several papers discussing pain management and the use of computer navigation provide a window into topics that are likely to expand significantly over the next several years.

Since it is expected that the number of primary hip arthroplasties is expected to continue to increase annually, articles describing excellent long-term fixation of several uncemented femoral components and the ongoing efforts to avoid bone loss with the use of newer bearing surfaces are relevant to the durability of these primary arthroplasties. The early results of alternative treatment approaches such as hip resurfacing, which has enjoyed renewed interest using alternative bearing surfaces, appears to be an area that will be followed for some time as these implants are being preferentially implanted in younger and more active patients.

Despite these technological efforts to avoid implant failure, the annual revision burden is expected to continue to substantially increase. The encouraging results of new approaches toward acetabular revision, excellent fixation of several revision femoral components, and viable treatment options for extremely difficult clinical scenarios such as pelvic discontinuity and prior pelvic irradiation are likely to be helpful for many readers.

It must be remembered that true advances in technology and medical care are ultimately determined by rigorous scientific study, analysis, and a peer reviewed process. This rather slow and stepwise scientific approach is in direct contrast to the ever increasing prevalence of immediate marketing and proclamation without an assessment of patient outcomes based on scientific study. The primary goals of the Hip Society include advancement of knowledge of the hip joint in health and in distress and provision for a forum to stimulate exchange of knowledge concerning education, research, and treatment of disorders of the hip. Hopefully this symposium demonstrates the successful efforts of the Hip Society to address the many aspects of hip replacement with rigorous scientific study.