A study presented at the 19th annual meeting of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, reviewed a large Medicare administrative data base, which included 37,867 primary total hip replacements. The dislocation rate in the first six months following a hip replacement decreased over time. The dislocation rate in 1997 was 4.1%, this decreased to 2.9% in 2006. This decrease is due in part to the use of larger heads in total hip replacement, which improve stability and decreased the risk of dislocation. It was also found that surgeons with lower volume of total hip replacement had an increased risk of their patients dislocating their hip. Patients who had associated medical problems had an increased risk of dislocation. Strategies to decrease dislocation following total hip replacement include maximizing the patient’s health, going to a hospital that does a high volume of total hip replacements and utilizing a surgeon who likewise performs a significant number of joint replacements per year. Variations in dislocation rate, based on approach, have also been noted with a lower dislocation rate with an anterior approach.
