Hip Disarticulation: An 11-Year Experience

• Thirty-eight hip disarticulations performed in 34 patients were retrospectively reviewed. The indications were ischemia secondary to atherosclerosis in 17 cases, femoral osteomyelitis in 10, and trauma in 11. Patient ages ranged from 20 to 95 years. The mortality was 60% in patients with ischemia with preoperative infection, 20% in patients with ischemia without preoperative infection, 22% in patients with femoral osteomyelitis, 100% in patients with trauma with preoperative infection, and 33% in patients with trauma without preoperative infection. The overall mortality was 44%. Postoperative wound infections were frequent (63%) and had poor correlation with the presence of a preoperative wound infection. No patient was able to use a prosthesis after hip disarticulation, but most were independent in wheelchairs. ( Arch Surg . 1990;125:791-793)