I had a total hip replacement last year. At the time, there was a fracture of the acetabular cup. It happened when the surgeon was inserting the cup into the socket. It healed fine but now I’m starting to wonder if that cup will last as long as it should. What happens 10 years down the road?

Intraoperative acetabular fractures don’t happen very often. In fact, a study from Mayo clinic found only 21 fractures out of more than 7,000 patients. Long-term studies of these patients aren’t available yet. The first results are short- or mid-term with follow-up from two to 10 years.

It appears that small or nondisplaced fractures do not affect the life of the cup. X-rays can show if your cup is stable, hasn’t moved, and isn’t showing signs of wear or loosening. If none of these problems occur, you can expect the standard 10 to 15 years of good use from your implant.