Heterotopic bone formation after total hip arthroplasty in patients with primary or secondary coxarthrosis

Heterotopic bone formation was investigated in 392 Charnley low-friction total hip arthroplasties. A multivariate linear regression analysis was used to account for the influence of co-variables: sex, age at surgery, postoperative treatment with antiinflammatory drugs during at least the first 2 weeks, and previous ipsilateral hip surgery. A total of 232 hips had been treated for primary coxarthrosis, and 114 and 46 hips for secondary coxarthrosis due to congenital dislocation and fracture-dislocation of the hip, respectively. None of the hips with primary coxarthrosis previously had ipsilateral hip surgery, whereas 41 hips (36%) in patients with congenital dislocation of the hip and 28 hips (61%) in patients with fracture-dislocation of the hip had one or more ipsilateral surgical procedures prior to the arthroplasty. The sex ratio varied between the groups, with a male:female hip ratio of 1:1, 1:10, and 3:1 for the three groups, respectively. The risk of developing grades 2 or 3 heterotopic ossification after total hip arthroplasty were significantly higher in men, patients without postoperative treatment with antiinflammatory drugs, and patients above age 60. In contrast, the analysis documented that previous ipsilateral hip surgery and type of coxarthrosis did not influence lesion development, supporting the theory that a systemic, rather than local factor, is responsible for the development of heterotopic bone formation after total hip arthroplasty.