PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS IN DISLOCATIONS AFTER PRIMARY TOTAL HIP-ARTHROPLASTY - 60 PATIENTS COMPARED WITH A CONTROL-GROUP

To determine patient-related risk factors for dislocation after a primary Charnley hip arthroplasty, we compared 60 patients with at least one dislocation to a randomly selected group of 118 patients with no dislocation. Apart from an increased mortality rate among the patients with a dislocated prosthesis, we could not relate dislocations to any somatic and psychiatric disorder or to the use of any particular group of pharmaceuticals. However, suspicion of alcohol abuse was commoner among men in the dislocated group.