Preoperative planning for revision total hip arthroplasty.

Similar to total hip arthroplasty (THA), preoperative planning is more important for revision THA and includes a thorough clinical evaluation (ie, patient history, physical examination, and laboratory tests, including aspiration and culture) as well as radiographic assessment (ie, for changes in bone loss and quality, for leg length, and for templating to choose the correct components). Similar to primary THA, preoperative planning for revision THA must include the inherent possibility of failure. Careful planning of the current technology and expertise to perform THA will help minimize potential problems. The essence of preoperative planning in revision THA can be summed up simply: Be prepared.