[Hip arthroplasty : Operation preliminary to the prosthetic surgery]

At a time when prosthetic hip surgery becomes more widespread with the use of cementless prostheses, of hydroxyapatite or of metal-metal or alumina-alumina bearings, it is important to recall that prosthetic hip surgery makes it possible to obtain a high percentage of good results whose longevity depends on good indications.The Pauwels inter-trochanteric osteotomy allows one to increase the weight bearing surface. Shelf operations and pelvic osteotomies, allow one to reconstruct a receptive acetabular cavity.One should bear in mind that this surgery cannot be definitive. It will lead in the long term to the hip replacement. It must therefore endeavour to reconstruct the anatomy and avoid creating problematic deformities for the subsequent arthroplasty.