HETEROTOPIC OSSIFICATION AFTER HIP-ARTHROPLASTY - A RANDOMIZED DOUBLE-BLIND MULTICENTER STUDY OF TENOXICAM IN 147 HIPS

147 patients due to have a cemented total hip arthroplasty were random ized to 4 groups. They received either tenoxicam 20 mg or 40 mg, or pl acebo, for 5 days or morphine on the day of operation and placebo for 4 days. During the first 5 days 14 patients were excluded. The patient s were followed for 1 year, during which another 10 patients were excl uded. At follow-up, significantly fewer patients had heterotopic ossif ications in the tenoxicam groups than in the placebo and morphine grou ps. There was no significant difference between the 2 tenoxicam-treate d groups, and we therefore conclude that tenoxicam 20 mg for 5 days po stoperatively can reduce heterotopic ossification after cemented total hip arthroplasty.