Setting benchmark revision rates for total hip replacement: analysis of registry evidence

BMJ. 2015 Mar 9:350:h756. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h756.

Abstract

Objective: To compare 10 year revision rates for frequently used types of primary total hip replacement to inform setting of a new benchmark rate in England and Wales that will be of international relevance.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: National Joint Registry.

Participants: 239 000 patient records.

Main outcome measures: Revision rates for five frequently used types of total hip replacement that differed according to bearing surface and fixation mode, encompassing 62% of all primary total hip replacements in the National Joint Registry for England and Wales. Revision rates were compared using Kaplan-Meier and competing risks analyses, and five and 10 year rates were estimated using well fitting parametric models.

Results: Estimated revision rates at 10 years were 4% or below for four of the five types of total hip replacement investigated. Rates differed little according to Kaplan-Meier or competing risks analysis, but differences between prosthesis types were more substantial. Cemented prostheses with ceramic-on-polyethylene bearing surfaces had the lowest revision rates (1.88-2.11% at 10 years depending on the method used), and cementless prostheses with ceramic-on-ceramic bearing surfaces had the highest revision rates (3.93-4.33%). Men were more likely to receive revision of total hip replacement than were women, and this difference was statistically significant for four of the five prosthesis types.

Conclusions: Ten year revision rate estimates were all less than 5%, and in some instances considerably less. The results suggest that the current revision rate benchmark should be at least halved from 10% to less than 5% at 10 years. This has implications for benchmarks internationally.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / standards*
  • Benchmarking*
  • Bone Cements / therapeutic use*
  • Ceramics
  • Cohort Studies
  • England
  • Female
  • Hip Prosthesis*
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Metals
  • Middle Aged
  • Osteoarthritis, Hip / surgery*
  • Polyethylene
  • Registries*
  • Reoperation / standards
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Wales
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Bone Cements
  • Metals
  • Polyethylene