[Hip endoprostheses in Paget's disease]

When the region around the hip joint is affected by Paget's disease it takes up to 10 years for degenerative joint disease requiring treatment to develop. Medium-term follow-up examination of 27 hip replacements in patients with Paget's disease revealed generally good results, though the rate of loosening, with 30%, was clearly elevated compared with that observed in a control group of patients not suffering from Paget's disease. The reduced bone stability and the increased bleeding tendency can cause complications even during the operation when Paget's disease is present. Since most of the patients affected are elderly prosthetic hip joint replacement is practically always indicated.