Abstract
Hip pathology can exacerbate symptoms of low back pathology. In patients with both, it can be difficult to evaluate back symptoms and hip pathology can be missed. From our hip register, we found that 66 of 814 THA patients (8.11%) had also undergone spinal surgery, 92.4% before THA. Among these 66 patients were 15 (24% or 1.84% of the total number) in whom back surgery did not relieve pain. Their pain disappeared after THA. It may be significant that a neurosurgeon performed the spinal surgery in all cases.
We suggest that orthopaedic surgeons examining patients with back pain always look for a Trendelenburg gait, insist on anteroposterior radiographs of the pelvis, routinely examine the hip when examining the low back and, if dual pathology exists, consider doing THA first.
Secretary: Dr H.J.S. Colyn, Editor: Professor M.B.E. Sweet. Correspondence should be addressed to SAOA, Box 47363, Parklands, Johannesburg, 2121, South Africa.
