A charity that helped champion the UK's first artificial hip operation is backing a new study aimed at boosting the long-term performance of the procedure.
Horsham-based Action Research is giving nearly £40,000 to scientists in London and Southampton who are hoping to shed new light on why so many hip implants fail.
The results could help reduce the expense and pain of many secondary operations.
More than 50,000 artificial hip replacements are carried out each year in the UK.
Hip replacements, however, have a limited lifespan and in 18 per cent of cases a repeat operation is needed at a total cost of £32 million per year.
Action Research pioneered artificial hip joint surgery in the Sixties and has continued to fund projects to increase the life-expectancy of hip joints.
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