Selection and technique 'key to hip resurfacing operation success'

Patient selection and surgical technique are key to successful hip resurfacing operations, an expert asserts.

Dr Thomas Schmalzried claims that doctors' increasing ability in these areas means that survivorship of the joints has been increasing, publisher OrthoSupersite.com reports.

The key indications he uses to select patients for the procedure are being at an increased risk of failure from total hip replacement operations, having a femoral deformity or device and being in possession of a good proximal femur.

He says: "There are differences on the femoral side. The offset of the femur after resurfacing surgery is just like it was before. You cannot change the offset. You cannot improve the offset."

Dr Schmalzried asserts that the key factor in choosing hip resurfacing operations for patients is not longevity but the ability to continue their existing lifestyles.

Earlier this month, a study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery advised doctors who have conducted a hip resurfacing operation to provide revision if inflammatory pseudotumours occur.

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