Total hip replacement in young age population

Total hip replacement in a young age population is a challenge. Long term implantation and anatomical difficul- ties related to previous illness or special anatomy are the key limiting factors. We have some experience on this subject since 30 years and will present a series already published in clinical orthopaedics. One hundred and thirty two hips were operated in 101 patients aged less than 30 years at time of operation. Surgical difficulties are described as well as survivorship. Some difficulties were related to anatomical conditions, leg length dis- crepancies and medullar canal narrowing. Others were related to poor initial design of the ceramic socket. Most of the revisions were related to socket aseptic loosening of the cemented design. In more recent cases, with the use of cementless implants results looked far better. At the moment it seems to us possible to implant a total hip in this young age group avoiding hip fusion. Despite all the problem and also difficulties related to surgery, the absence of osteolysis related to material wear let us expect long lasting implantation. Mots clés ♦ chirurgie ♦ hanche ♦ prothèse ♦ céramique