Total articular replacement arthroplasty. A three- to ten-year case-controlled study.

One hundred eighty-four cemented primary total articular replacement arthroplasty (TARA) resurfacing total hip procedures were performed by a single surgeon from 1981 to 1985. One hundred seventy-four hips had a mean follow-up period of eight years (range, 3.5-10.4 years). Osteoarthrosis was the predominant diagnosis (79%). Failure was defined as a hip needing additional surgery because of an implant failure and occurred in 13.2% of the patients. No statistically significant difference was found between preoperative etiology, patient gender, or the side of the hip involved between the revised and unrevised patients. The revised group was seven years younger at the time of TARA implantation than the group that was not revised (55.7 versus 65.3 years), with significance to the p < 0.01 level. Survival analysis demonstrated an 87.1% chance of survival at seven years, decreasing to 84.5% at ten years. The cemented TARA hip replacement has a better intermediate-to long-term success than other resurfacing designs reported using cemented fixation. However, this does not compare favorably with the longevity of cemented Charnley total hip replacements reported at similar intervals.

Two per cent glutaraldehyde: a disinfectant in arthroscopy and arthroscopic surgery.

Arthroscopes and some instruments for arthroscopic surgery were prepared for use by soaking them for fifteen minutes in a cold solution of 2 per cent glutaraldehyde. This method was practical, economical, safe, and effective. Over a eight-year period we performed 12,505 arthroscopic procedures with an infection rate of 0.04 per cent. Although technically classified as a disinfectant, 2 per cent glutaraldehyde used under these conditions proved to be an effective method of preparing arthroscopic surgical instruments and was less damaging to these instruments than methods involving sterilization by steam.