[Eight days of naproxen therapy can prevent heterotopic ossification after total hip alloplasty]

The effect of one week of treatment with naproxen on the formation of heterotopic ossification after cemented total hip arthroplasty was studied in a prospective trial. Twenty-seven patients received 500 mg naproxen twice daily for seven days postoperatively. The medication was started on the morning of the operation. The results were compared to a control group of 23 patients from a previous study who had not received any kind of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. All radiographs were randomly mixed and patient identification was blinded. Three months after the operation 12/23 patients in the control group and 3/27 in the naproxen-treated group had developed heterotopic ossification. One year after the operation 4/27 in the naproxen-treated group and 12/23 in the control group had heterotopic ossification (p < 0.05). Three patients in the control group and none in the naproxen-treated group developed severe ossification. It is concluded that naproxen given for one week can decrease the incidence of heterotopic ossification after total hip arthroplasty.