Unstable hemiarthroplasty of the hip-treated with a simple technique of acetabular augmentation.

Hemiarthroplasty of the hip is one of the most frequently performed orthopedic procedures for trauma in the elderly. Dislocation is one of its well-recognized complications and ranges from 1% to 16% (Acta Orthop Scand. 2003;74:45-48) in different series. Often, dislocation can be recurrent when the morbidity is even higher. Suggested methods of treatment for this difficult problem range from closed/open reduction followed by conservative management to Girdlestone excision arthroplasty. We report a unique, simple, and effective method of managing this problem, particularly in those elderly patients who are medically unfit to undergo a total hip arthroplasty or a major revision hip surgery at a later date for a dislocated hemiarthroplasty. Nine patients have been treated with our technique, and none of these patients had a further dislocation over a 6-month to 9-year follow-up.