Prognostic factors influencing the functional outcome of total hip arthroplasty for hip infection sequelae.

Abstract

To investigate factors influencing functional prognosis for patients who have undergone total hip arthroplasty for late sequelae of infective arthritis of the hip, we conducted a retrospective analysis of 75 hips. All patients had had pyogenic or tuberculous infection and later underwent total hip arthroplasty. The average follow-up period was 5.8 years (range, 3-9 years). Various clinical and radiographic measures were analyzed with respect to Harris hip scores. Younger age at the time of infection onset, preoperative leg length discrepancy greater than 1 in, fusion, severe femoral hypoplasia, and severe acetabular dysplasia were associated with poorer prognosis. The complication rate, including 1 recurrent infection, was relatively low. Previous infections seemed to predict poorer results mostly because of the consequences of infection for the development of the hip joint, rather than because of infection recurrence.