[Total hip arthroplasty : history and perspective of an iconic surgerical intervention].

With nearly 2 million implants placed annually, total hip arthroplasty is one of the most frequently performed surgerical procedure. A historical review of this intervention reminds us of the times when surgery was done by barber, before the first attempts of interposition arthroplasty. It is only in 1970 that Sir John Charnley lay the foundations of modern arthroplasty. The pharmaceutical industry, by sharing this lucrative market of $ 5 billion annual revenue, is now playing a major role in the development of the next generation of implants.