Bilateral Vitallium Mold Arthroplasty of the Hip: 31-Year Follow-Up
- Thomas H. Mallory, MD;
- Otto E. Aufranc, MD
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt
To the Editor.— A cobalt-chromium alloy (Vitallium) mold arthroplasty of the hip, first performed by SmithPetersen in June 1938, has become an established procedure for the treatment of degenerative hip disease.2,3 Recently a patient who had undergone bilateral mold arthroplasties of one hip 31 and the other 29 1/2 years ago presented the longest living follow-up of bilateral cup arthroplasty.2 Her postoperative course is remarkable.
Report of a Case.— Four years prior to admission to the Massachusetts General Hospital in 1939, at age 28, the patient began to experience pain in the left hip. Progressive loss of motion in the involved joint was accompanied by incapacitating pain. No trauma or childhood hip disease was known. X-ray films showed shallow acetabulae with broad and flattened femoral heads, consistent with congenital dysplastic hip disease. This woman walked with a bilateral Trendelenberg gait. The range of motion was 30° of
