Hip Surgery 1958 – Total Hip Arthroplasty

Medical historian Francis Neary says:

"Total hip arthroplasty has been regarded as a milestone in 20th-century surgery and is now one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures worldwide. Since the early 1960s, it has played an important role in relieving pain and restoring mobility for millions of people with arthritis. Its development has been associated with innovations in materials, instruments, and operative procedures—many of which have been adapted to treat other joints and applied across a range of surgical specialties."

Total hip arthroplasty requires removal of the cup-shaped hip socket (acetabulum) in the pelvic bone. The head of the thighbone (femur) is also removed. Both are replaced with artificial materials to create a new ball-and-socket joint.

In 1958, British orthopedic surgeon John Charnley created a modern artificial hip joint using a ball-shaped stainless steel head and a Teflon acetabular cup. In 1962, Charnley replaced the Teflon with more durable polyethylene plastic. He asked his patients for permission to examine their hips and surrounding tissues after their deaths, and most agreed.

Today, porous coatings on artificial components create a "friction fit" , and bone adheres to the porous coatings for a firmer hold. Strong ligaments around the normal hip joint keep the femoral head in the acetabulum. Computer-assisted orthopedic surgery may be used to help some surgeons better guide the surgical process.

Before hip surgery was developed, little could be done for people who fractured their hips. Many people over the age of 60 died from various complications of these fractures.

Description of the Article Image: The cup-shaped hip socket (acetabulum) in the pelvis and the femur (thighbone) have been removed in this X-ray of a patient who has undergone total hip arthroplasty.

Historical Figures Mentioned in This Article: Sir John Charnley (1911–1982)

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