Thirty-year follow-up after Wagner resurfacing hip arthroplasty: Case report

Wagner hip arthroplasty has been used as a resurfacing and thereby bone-preserving method for the treatment of disabling osteoarthritis particularly in younger individuals. The underlying rationale was to replace exclusively diseased tissue, to restore anatomy and function and to optimize range of motion and stress transfer to the proximal femur. Wagner's approach was designed to reduce the risk of infection and to make later revisions easier. The technique was however associated with a high revision rate due to early aseptic wear induced component loosening and neck fractures. Nevertheless, we report a case of a 30 years follow-up of a Wagner resurfacing hip arthroplasty.