Total hip replacement for proximal femoral tumours: our midterm results

Data from 44 patients (23 males, 21 females) with a median age of 39 (range 13-80) years who underwent total hip arthroplasty for proximal femoral tumours (1994-2004) were analysed. The histological diagnoses included 14 metastases, six osteosarcomas, six chondrosarcomas, four Ewing's sarcomas, four giant cell tumours, three malignant fibrous histiocytomas, two parosteal and two periosteal osteosarcomas, and one each primary neuroectodermal tumour, myeloid disease, and aneurysmal bone cyst. Twenty-one patients (48%) had pathological fractures. The cause of the pathological fracture was metastasis in 12 patients (57%). Twenty-eight patients (64%) had soft tissue invasion. Complications observed in 17 patients (37%) were local recurrence in two, postoperative haematoma in two, dislocation of prosthesis in five, deep infection in six, and one patient died of myocardial infarction in the early postoperative period. During our midterm survival analysis, functional results were excellent in 25% of patients, good in 57%, fair in 12%, and poor in 6%.