Total hip arthroplasty after fracture of the acetabulum. Long-term results.

We made a retrospective study of 55 primary total hip arthroplasties in 53 patients with a history of previous acetabular fracture. The mean follow-up was 7.5 years and the average age at fracture was 48.7 years. The incidence of radiographic femoral loosening (29.4%), symptomatic loosening (15.7%), and femoral revision (7.8%) were similar to those previously reported at 10 years for routine arthroplasties by Stauffer (1982). On the acetabular side, the incidence of radiographic loosening (52.9%), symptomatic loosening (27.5%), and revision (13.7%) were four to five times higher. We conclude that a history of prior acetabular fracture has a significant adverse impact on the long-term outcome of any subsequent total hip arthroplasty.