Use of the AO femoral distractor in revision total hip arthroplasty.

Use of the femoral distractor in trauma settings is well documented in the orthopedic literature. Use of the device extends into adult reconstructive surgery; surgeons use this distractor as an aid in performing difficult revision total hip arthroplasties (THAs). Patients with associated soft-tissue contractures secondary to subacute or chronic dislocation of a THA may present a clinical picture that might make consideration of simple open reduction only a remote possibility. Patients with long-standing Girdlestone resection arthroplasty usually present with soft-tissue deficiencies that render the hip unstable (unless it is at maximal length), or these patients have severe contractures that make reduction difficult after all components are implanted. We present a distractor technique for reduction of prosthetic components in such clinical situations. The femoral distractor is easily applied, and, because of its mechanical effectiveness, it can assist in reducing the "irreducible" hip.