Reduction in Early Dislocation Rate With Large-Diameter Femoral Heads in Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty

Dislocation after total hip arthroplasty (THA) remains a major problem, with an estimated rate of 1% to 10%. Large-diameter femoral heads theoretically can reduce dislocation risk, but this has not been confirmed by clinical studies. We performed 2 studies to investigate the relationship between large-diameter femoral heads and postoperative dislocation. In the first study, we compared dislocation rates in 296 patients who underwent primary THA using either a 28-mm or a 38-mm head. The second study examined the rate of dislocation in a large series of primary THA with 38- to 56-mm metal-on-metal (MOM) femoral heads.