What’s New in Hip Arthroplasty

Total hip arthroplasty is one of the most clinically efficacious and cost-effective medical interventions. Surgeons and scientists have continued to produce a tremendous amount of research data related to clinical outcomes, biomaterials, surgical techniques, treatment of complications, and socioeconomic analysis. Between April 2004 and April 2005, fifty-five reports related to total hip arthroplasty were published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American Volume), 140 were published in the Journal of Arthroplasty, and sixty-eight were published in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. In addition, 190 abstracts on this topic were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, forty-two were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, and eighty were presented at the fall and spring meetings of the Hip Society. There were also numerous abstracts and papers from the Orthopaedic Research Society and reports in other peer-reviewed publications. We have organized this review update into seven sections: (1) primary total hip arthroplasty (including surface arthroplasty), (2) revision, (3) bearing surface, (4) minimal incision surgery, (5) complications, (6) practice management, and (7) cost analysis. Special focus is given to two of these topics: bearing surfaces and cost analysis.