[Investigations of the final settling of implanted hip-joints by use of 85Sr (author's transl)].

Up to 8 years after replacement of hip-joints in 26 patients the strontium-85-uptake over both thighs was followed scintimetrically. In contrary to normal healing of fractures, this uptake became normal on the side of the operation not earlier than the end of the 2nd year after operation. One cause of this delay could be the continuing liberation of monomeres of polymethyl-methacrylates at the bed of the implant. It is important to consider the clinical signs on the opposite side, since there a raised strontium-85-uptake could produce a "pseudo"-diminished ratio between the two sides.