Long-term results of low-friction arthroplasty.

Two long-term studies of total hip replacement, carried out at Wrightington Hospital, England, and already published in 1977 and illustrated in detail, have been presented in an abbreviated, and it is hoped, more readable form. The first of these studies averaged 13 years and the second 8.3 years, but the latter has been updated to a maximum period of 13 years by reference to hospital records of secondary operations. The failure rate of the first series was 1.5% and that of the updated second series now becomes 2.6%. Some suggestions are made to explain this difference.