[Translated article] Do Spanish surgeons trust hip stabilizing devices to prevent prosthetic dislocation?

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic surgery
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Total hip arthroplasty (THA) dislocation is a common complication and a leading cause for revision surgery.
• While conservative treatment is often acceptable after a first dislocation, standardized preventative measures are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical practice preferences and reliance on hip-stabilizing devices among Spanish hip surgeons.
• To test the hypothesis that a clear consensus does not exist regarding the use of anti-dislocation devices.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to 83 hip surgeons in Spain.
• Participants reported on THA surgical volume, dislocation incidence, and the use of orthopaedic immobilisation devices post-dislocation.

Main Results:

• 42% of surgeons did not use any immobilisation post-dislocation.
• Significant variability existed in the type and duration of immobilisation used by surgeons.
• 33% of surgeons continued using orthoses they deemed ineffective.

Conclusions:

• There is a lack of consensus on the use of hip-stabilizing devices following THA.
• The utilization of orthopaedic devices is heterogeneous and dependent on individual surgeons and centers.