Abstract
1. The early signs of Paget's disease of the acetabulum and femur are described.
2. The pattern of arthritis is presented in 199 hips in which Paget's disease of bone occurred in either the femur, the acetabulum or both bones. Distinct patterns of disease occur with different bone involvement.
3. Selective narrowing of the medial segment of the joint is common and is particularly associated with pelvic disease. Why the narrowing occurs here preferentially is unexplained.
4. Protrusio acetabuli occurred in only 25 per cent of hips and usually when both the femur and the acetabulum were involved. This may be due to the presence simultaneously of weakened bone and coxa vara, the latter leading to an alteration in the direction of the resultant force across the hip joint.
5. Degenerative arthritis was present with Paget's disease in 14 per cent of hips but it may be a chance relationship in half of these hips.
