Surface Replacement Arthroplasty of the Hip

Kim, Young Min; Lee, Sang Hoon; Seong, Sang Chul

Abstract

The concept of surface replacement arthroplasty of the hip is to replace the diseased joint surface with artificial plastic and metal cup in the acetabular and femoral head respectively, and to restore the normal anatomy and gain biomechanical function. Ten cases of Wagner type's surface replacement arthroplasty performed in Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital since July 1979 are reviewed, and their minimum follow up is two months. In terms of the Pain control and improvement of range of motion in the hip, surface replacement arthroplasty showed about the same result compared with conventional total hip. In our cases there was no one complicatian, even though it is too short to evaluate the result of this operation. Wagner recommends surface replacement arthroplasty to perform through anterior approach, but 2 cases of our ten patients that have relatively good range of motion of the hip could be operated on this surgery by anterolateral approach (oblique skin incision) without trochanteric osteotomy, because of high incedence of myositis ossification with anterior approach. It is our conclusion that surface replacement arthroplasty of the hip may be used as an interim procedure to gain time in young patient who needs conventional total hip replacement which reveals increasing complication with the lapse of time.