Background Total knee and hip arthroplasties are one of the most common and costly surgical procedures. They are performed to relieve pain and improve the patient’s quality of life.

Purpose To describe the use of prostheses in hip and knee replacement surgery in a 1200-bed hospital.

Materials and Methods Descriptive retrospective study of the prostheses used in elective total hip and knee arthroplasties during year 2011.

Surgical orthopaedic interventions records and clinical histories were reviewed. Variables studied: sex, age, number of total hip and knee replacements performed: primary and revision (prosthetic replacement) procedures and reasons for revision surgery.

Results 94 total hip arthroplasties were carried out: 80 primary surgical procedures (85.1%) performed on 40 men and 40 women, with a median age of 64 years (20–84), and 14 revision surgical procedures (14.9%) performed on 4 men and 10 women, with a median age of 75 years (46–84). 2 of these patients had undergone primary surgery in the same year.

Reasons for prosthetic replacement were: aseptic loosening: 6 patients (6.4%), dislocation: 4 (4.3%), pain: 3 (3.2%) and infection: (1.1%).

140 total knee replacement procedures were carried out: 125 primary procedures (89.29%) performed on 28 men and 99 women, with a median age of 71 years (42–87), and 15 revision procedures (10.71%) performed on 2 men and 13 women, with a median age of 72 years (65–80).

Etiologic factors of revision were: stiffness: 5 patients (3.6%), instability: 5 (3.6%), pain: 2 (1.4%), aseptic loosening of the prosthesis: 2 (1.4%) and infection: 1 (0.7%).

Conclusions In most cases, both procedures are performed in patients younger than 75 years in order to improve their quality of life.

Total knee replacement surgery is more common than hip replacement. It is mainly performed in women and revision surgical procedures are less likely.

Prosthetic infection is the most important complication after surgery, but fortunately, is the least frequent cause of revision surgery.

No conflict of interest.