Postmortem retrieval of total joint replacement components

Improved understanding of the clinical outcomes of orthopedic implants requ ires the study of implants at the end of their service life. Previous studi es focused on the retrieval of so-called failed implants during surgical re vision. Interest is now moving to the study of successful implants, which a re those still in place at the patient's death. A procedure was developed f or recruitment of implant patients and their families and for safe and effe ctive device and tissue retrieval after death. More than 50 retrievals were performed to support various research efforts. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.