2011 International Hip Society: Editorial Comment

Abstract

This issue contains a selection of the papers presented at the September 2011 Meeting of the International Hip Society (IHS) in Prague, Czech Republic. Founded in 1976, the IHS and its membership continue to grow; there are currently 147 members who come from all continents. The society meetings are held in English, and the meeting content encompasses all aspects of hip surgery. Obviously, arthroplasty is by far the most common procedure about the hip, and this is reflected in the meeting and symposium content; because of this, some have accused the IHS of being a Total Hip Society. This is unjust and unjustified. All aspects of hip surgery are discussed at the meeting, and the breadth of content can be observed in this symposium. In fact, in planning the meeting, I would say that we have a tendency to favor abstracts with nonarthroplasty subjects in an effort to decrease the expected lack of subject balance (in favor of arthroplasty). The papers included in this issue have been subjected to the usual CORR® peer-review process, and while their countries of origin vary, it is clear that globalization has reached our field, and the influence of cross-fertilization is obvious. This was one of the central ideas in the minds of the founders of the Society. The reader will find several interesting papers on the currently hot topic of conservative hip surgery in the young patient. Procedures that are old and seemingly abandoned are seen with a new light. New (to North American readers) imaging and surgical technologies are presented, and the “old and established” values of some techniques and technologies for arthroplasty are reassessed and confirmed. There is little question that bearing couples and materials are at the forefront of preoccupation with hip surgeons today. The reader will find useful and, at times, surprising information on bearing couples, and with the current interest on metal-on-metal he or she will have the opportunity to review new aspects of this serious problem and learn of the unintended consequences of large diameter, metal-metal bearing couples. Of course, resurfacing arthroplasty could not fail to be present in the symposium, as well. In Europe, Australia, and New Zealand joint registries are old news, but in the US we are in the process of taking on this gigantic endeavor, given the size and variety of practices, and the sheer number of arthroplasties done here. The values, and perhaps the occasional deficiencies, of the registries are shown in some of the papers. Finally, there is a new look at the management of the worst complication in arthroplasty, that being infection, and old and new techniques are presented for specific problems in revision arthroplasty. In summary, this collection of papers has something for every taste. One could say, in paraphrasing the old saying regarding a new bride’s outfit (“something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”), that the reader will find support here for some of the oldest procedures in hip surgery, as well as information on some new and promising technologies. There is material borrowed from other nonmedical disciplines. And something blue? There will be no blue on the text, but when these labors were presented, I can assure the reader that most of the presentations had a blue background on the images. As Guest Editor, it has been a pleasure working with the CORR editorial staff. I hope the readers find in these papers as much enjoyment as I had when listening to them when they were first presented, and then reading and rereading the written work. Fig. 1 Dr. Miguel E. Cabanela is shown.