The reaction of the pelvis to the implantation of the acetabular component of the hip endoprosthesis--initial tests with the use of computerized tomography.

Among the population over the age of 65 years joint diseases constitute more than 50% of chronic diseases and most often apply to the hip. Endoprosthetics is one of the methods for treating this condition and is considered one of the best--clinically and economically--interventions of the modern medicine. However, it is not free of complications among which the loosening of the endoprosthesis is commonest. In publications, a full discussion has been going on arguing whether the complication is caused by biological or mechanical factors. The authors--aiming to answer this question based on CT--tested the influence of the implantation of the acetabular component on the pelvic bone density in Hounsfield units within a 6-month period after the operation. The test results indicate the bone density decrease. The statistical analysis shows, however, that the changes are not statistically significant.