Hip replacements are more likely to fail in women than in men.

California researchers found the number of hip implants that fail is small overall, but women are nearly 30 per cent more likely than men to need a repeat surgery within the first three years.   Maria Inacio is the lead author of the study.   Aan epidemiologist with Southern California Permanente Medical Group in San Diego, she says, “One of the main reasons for failure in women is dislocation and this can lead to a revision surgery.

Hip implants are medical devices, made from a range of materials designed to restore mobility and relieve pain associated with arthritis or injuries.

More than 400-thousand Americans have full or partial hip replacements each year, the majority of them women.  Close to 60-thousand Canadians have hip and knee replacements each year.

The U.S. study looked at 35-thousand surgeries at 46 hospitals.