Total Hip Arthroplasty in Greece

In this paper data are presented regarding total hip replacement during the year of 1998 in Greece. These are derived from Orthopaedic Departments of all Hellenic State Hospitals and from major private hospitals. A questionnaire together with a relevant letter was sent to the Consultants of the Orthopaedic Departments explaining the purpose of the study. The reply rate was 100 per cent. The answers to the questions were prompt and the results were received in a short time. Analysis of the data revealed that 4477 total hip replacements were performed in Greece during the year 1998. This number includes 411 (9.2 per cent) patients with revision arthroplasty. The operations were performed on 3247 women and 1230 men with a mean age of 66 years. Degenerative osteoarthrosis of the hip was the most common diagnosis (74 per cent). Intracapsular fractures of the hip (7 per cent), neglected congenital dislocation of the hip in the adult (5 per cent), osteonecrosis of the femoral head (5 per cent), rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis (4 per cent) and miscellaneous conditions (5 per cent) accounted for the remainders. The mean time of hospitalization was 13 days. The postoperative mortality rate during hospitalization was 0.29 per cent, deep infections 0.7 per cent and dislocations 1 per cent.