Utility of week one radiographs post total hip arthroplasty.

Introduction: We retrospectively analysed 129 consecutive patients who underwent hip arthroplasty at a university-affiliated hospital in Melbourne, Australia between February and September 2011 with respect to the quality of the week one radiographs, placement of the prosthesis and the presence of a peri-prosthetic fracture or dislocation.

Method: Patient records and radiographs were reviewed to ascertain whether a deviation in routine management occurred based on the information obtained from week one post-operative radiographs.

Results: 116 of the 129 patients met the inclusion criteria for the study.

Nerve injuries in orthopaedics: is there anything more we need to tell our patients?

Background: Perioperative nerve injuries are uncommon in most elective orthopaedic operations. However, despite the low incidence, patients tend to be most unforgiving when this complication occurs. The present study aims to determine the adequacy of the consent process, and seeks to identify deficiencies.