Having witnessed the birth of a number of innovations which were initially heralded as the final solution
to the replacement of the arthritic hip, but soon to be found wanting and then replaced by either improved
or new techniques or implants, were lessons of great importance. To ignore the continuous evolution of hip
surgery and to assume that we have finally found a permanent solution is not only wrong but rather na•ve.
It will be a long time before perfection is attained. This is why, I have structured this book in a manner that
identifies the likely reasons for the failures of so many different approaches to the Òhip problemÓ hoping that
our enthusiasm with ÒnewÓ techniques will be tempered by the lessons of history.