Influence of hip arthroplasty upon chemotactic behaviour of leucocytes

Fourteen patients treated with total hip endoprosthesis were investigated for leucocyte defects. A chemotactic assay was used as an indicator of leucocyte function. Tests were carried out preoperatively and on postoperative days 1, 3 and 6. The chemotactic index started to decline on the first postoperative day, reached a peak on the third day after surgery and returned to almost preoperative values on the sixth day. The results might provide a clinical explanation for the data showing a high postoperative infection rate in total hip surgery.