Orthopaedic Surgery Hip Synthetic Ligaments in Hip Surgery

Synthetic ligaments have been used in orthopaedics for nearly a century. After a wave of popularity in the early 1980s, particularly for treating the knee, they fell into disrepute due to the frequent and often severe complications, particularly when used intra-articularly. Subsequent advances in the materials, design and manufacture of synthetic ligaments have led to a renaissance in their popularity. They are routinely used in knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle surgery, and have recently been described to have a role in hip surgery. We explore the background of synthetic ligaments and their applications around the hip in both primary and revision surgery.