Sociodemographic factors and failure of hip arthroplasty

To identify the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors related to developme nt of aseptic loosening after a cemented total hip arthroplasty (THA), 151 consecutive primary THAs performed at a single hospital in a rural district of Japan, at a mean follow-up of 7.5 years, were reviewed. Based on the me dical records collected during hospital admission for THA, in which sociode mographic and lifestyle backgrounds had been recorded by the nurse, answers regarding residence, education, employment, engagement in agricultural wor k, marital status, family members living together, religion, recreational a ctivity, smoking, and alcohol intake were analyzed in relation to the devel opment of loosening, using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. W ith adjustment for cementing technique, diagnosis, age, and sex, agricultur al work had a significant relation with prosthetic loosening (relative risk =2.85, P=0.03). Restriction of physical work in agriculture for patients u ndergoing THA should be considered.