A double-blind study of 250 cases comparing cemented with cementless total hip arthroplasty. Cost-effectiveness and its impact on health-related quality of life.

The success of a total hip arthroplasty (THA) is dependent on many more parameters than simply the prosthesis used. This study has demonstrated that a randomized controlled clinical trial of 250 patients comparing two types of hip prostheses (cemented versus cementless) with virtually complete follow-up examination is feasible. It also demonstrates that patients are willing to answer extensive quality-of-life questionnaires that allow complete assessment of the impact of hip arthroplasty on the patient's overall health-related quality of life. This study has also demonstrated that THA is an extremely effective intervention when one assesses its ability to impact on patients health-related quality of life with no difference between cement versus cementless at two years' follow-up examination.