Simplifying the Hip-Spine Relationship for Total Hip Arthroplasty: Introduction

Recent data indicate that the contemporary prevalence of dislocation after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) is up to 5-fold to 10-fold greater in those patients with spinal deformities that lead to stiffness and/or significant pelvic tilt. To put the scope of the problem into perspective, the dislocation risk in these patients approaches that of revision THAs with compromised trochanters and megaprostheses. The next several years will see an explosion in the knowledge we as a community garner in regards to the interplay between the hip and spine, incrementally improving the outcomes of THAs in this complex cohort of patients.