Hip arthroplasty for osteonecrosis of the femoral head secondary to alcohol abuse

Although the challenges of hip arthroplasty for avascular necrosis (AVN) are known, limited data exist to describe patient demographics and outcomes in the setting of AVN attributed to alcoholism. We retrospectively identified 43 patients (62 hips) who underwent primary hip arthroplasty between 1999 and 2016 for a diagnosis of AVN of the femoral head with a concomitant diagnosis of alcohol abuse and minimum follow-up of 2 years (mean, 8.6 years). The mean age was 51 years, predominantly male (88%), with a high rate of comorbidities. History of cigarette smoking was prevalent (65%). Mean length of stay was 5.3 days, which is prolonged due to a high prevalence of acute postoperative alcohol withdrawal (14.5% of cases). There were 5 early (≤2 years) reoperations (8% of hips) for instability, periprosthetic acetabular fracture and component loosening, heterotopic ossification, superficial infection, and acute periprosthetic infection. There were no additional radiographic failures. The mean postoperative Hip dysfunction and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement was 97.8 ± 7.8, indicative of excellent outcomes at final follow-up of 2 to 18 years. Early risks associated with hip replacement surgery must be communicated to the predominantly young male subgroup of patients with AVN attributed to alcoholism, but these patients may achieve excellent mid- to long-term outcomes.