Outcome of the contralateral hip following total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis.

One thousand one hundred and sixteen patients who underwent unilateral total hip arthroplasty osteoarthritis between 1970 and 1980 were examined for development, progression, and total hip arthroplasty in the contralateral joint. At the time of the original surgery, 452 patients were diagnosed with bilateral osteoarthritis and 664 had a normal contralateral hip. The probability of osteoarthritis progressing in the contralateral joint is 78.6% at 10 years, with the chance of arthroplasty being 53.8%. The probability of a hip diagnosed as normal developing osteoarthritis is 36.5% at 10 years, with an 8.3% chance of requiring total hip arthroplasty.