Fusion Takedown - Can Be a Letdown

Description: Arthrodesis of the hip is seldom accepted as a reconstructive alternative by patients.1 Furthermore, most patients who have undergone this procedure in the past find it increasingly difficult to accept the lifestyle modification that is required and request its conversion to a total hip replacement, even in the absence of significant low back, ipsilateral knee pain, or contralateral hip pain, which are the most important indications for conversion. The procedure is fraught with potential pitfalls and not uncommonly results in a compromised outcome or significant complication. It should be approached with caution, careful planning, and an understanding by patients that the results are seldom similar to what is experienced following a straightforward primary joint replacement.
Fusion Takedown: Can Be a Letdown By Clive P. Duncan, MD, FRCS(C) ORTHOPEDICS 2007; 30:758