REVISION OF FAILED HEMIARTHROPLASTY FOR FRACTURES AT THE HIP

The records of 56 patients in whom a hemiarthroplnsty, carried out for a femoral neck fracture, had been revised to a total hip replacement, were reviewed The mode of failure was femoral loosening in 21, acetab ular erosion in 26 and both in 5. Loosening tended to occur earlier th an acetabular erosion. The median time to the onset of symptoms was 12 months and to revision 33 months. There were 38 major operative or po stoperative complications at revision in 27 of the patients (48%).