Medical Studies

Hip Resurfacing Learning Curve for Surgeons

 

ORTHO Supersite News Wire (June 20, 2007)contained a link to an article from Orthopedics International 2007, 10:10, May 2007, which describes a study from Diane Back on the learning curve for correct placement of the femoral hip resurfacing components. Instead of the 10 to 20 cases expected it actually took from 50 to 60 cases for the surgeons studied to place the components where they wanted it (+/-5% of target). In the United States where orthopaedists begin practicing after completing fewer hip replacements than surgeons in the United Kingdom or Australia, "It actually means their learning curve may take them 10 years to get out of," Back said. She also recommends that surgeons just learning the procedure should tell patients they are at the beginning of their learning curve and have not done many of the procedures.

 

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* Diane L. Back, FRCS, Ed Orth, can be reached at Guy's and St. Thomas Hospital National Health Service, Lambeth Palace Rd., London, SE17EH, England; +44-20-7188-4435 ; e-mail: diane.back@gstt.nhs.uk. She has no financial disclosures related to this presentation. * Back DL, Smith JD, Dalziel RE, et al. Establishing a learning curve for hip resurfacing. #130. Presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 74th Annual Meeting. Feb. 14-18, 2007. San Diego.