[Girdlestone's hip resection. Clinical and electromyocinesigraphic study]

Forty-five patients with unilateral excision of the femoral head and neck and 2 patients with bilateral excision were studied with a follow-up of 6 months to 6 years. In 36 cases the hip excision was performed after a total hip prosthesis. We have personally monitored 22 patients. The others either died or suffered from other general diseases not related to the operation, making it impossible to check their locomotor apparatus. Two criteria were studied in particular: walking and pain. Fifty-five percent of the patients can walk well with one cane, 31% with two canes, and 14% require assistance to walk. Thirty-one can stand and walk without pain, 55% have some discomfort when fatigued, and 14% have constant pain. Electromyocinesigraphic examination was performed in 6 patients in order to study the automatic function of the muscles when the patient was standing and walking. We found the following: (1) no innervation of the hip abducters with high activity of the rectus anterior during the standing phase of the leg operated upon; (2) abnormal symmetrical and permanent activity of the erectores trunci during the usual standing posture and during walking; (3) increased activity of the hip abductors of the nonoperated leg when standing and walking.