The effect of pulsed irrigation on the incidence of heterotopic ossification after total hip arthroplasty

Abstract: Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a common complication of total hip arthroplasty (THA). Pulsed lavage is being used with increasing frequency for THA. A prospective randomized, double-blind trial was initiated to determine if pulsed lavage affected the incidence of HO. A total of 94 THAs in 91 patients were analyzed. No significant difference in the incidence of HO was found between the 2 groups. Hypertrophic osteoarthritis was found to be a significant risk factor for HO. The findings suggest that the osteogenic precursor cells thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of HO possibly are derived from within the local soft tissues in the proximity of the hip joint.