The Particulars: Previous research has shown that smoking is linked to prolonged healing and increased postoperative complications following orthopedic surgery. Few analyses have explored clinical outcomes of total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients who are smokers and those who do not smoke.

Data Breakdown: Investigators compared outcomes following THA and reported that overall prosthetic survivorship rates were 92% for smokers and 99% for non-smokers. Among smokers, 9.2% of current smokers had THA revisions, compared with 4.4% of former smokers.

Take Home Pearls: When compared with non-smokers, patients who smoke appear to have higher overall revision rates following THA. Efforts are needed to encourage nicotine cessation or minimization before THA.