Medico-legal aspects of the revision of total hip arthroplasty

Total hip arthroplasty always implies short or long term complications. It is compulsory further to a first initial arthroplasty. In Senegal, after a rather shy beginning in 1970 and1974, the total hip prostheses are regularly made in many hospitals of the country; particularly in Dakar. This review, 40 years later combined with the occurrence of complications are the main reasons why we conduct this retrospective study to highlight the medico-legal implications of the revisions of total hip arthroplasty. This is a retrospective study based on folders from ill persons gathered between January 2000 and December 2010 in the Department of Orthopeadics-Traumatology of the Public Health Institution Aristide Le Dantec in Dakar. The record of these elements has been made for each patient, on the basis of a file including the epidemiological data relative to the revision (indication, the action and the results). All in all 14 folders were selected. The analysis of our results on the functional and anatomic level has allowed us show the different complications further to the revision of a total hip arthroplasty that can incur the liability of the orthopaedist surgeon. The risk of incurring one’s professional liability would necessarily help to strengthen the vigilance of practitioners and better warn the government on its responsibility towards public health institutions.