[Aseptic loosening of the Charnley prosthesis]

Out of 100 Charnley prostheses implanted for idiopathic arthrosis and followed up a minimum of 5 years after surgery, 59 were fixed, 24 were characterised by probable radiologic loosening of the femoral component, 13 by probable loosening, and 4 by possible radiologic loosening of the acetabular component. None of the patients was submitted to further surgery. Some of the features of the patients were found to be associated with a higher incidence of femoral loosening. In most of the cases loosening was minimal, only radiologic, and not clinically apparent, and numerous technical improvements in the use of cement and in the design of the prosthesis were introduced subsequent to the period when these patients were operated on.