First devised in 1962 by Sir John Charnley of England, the total hip replacement offered relief to thousands of arthritis sufferers. Dr. Mark Coventry, Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon, served as head of the Department of Orthopedics for 19 years. Dr. Coventry was among the Mayo Clinic surgeons who were instrumental in developing total joint replacement procedures.

On March 10, 1969, Dr. Coventry performed the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized total hip replacement surgery in the United States at Rochester Methodist Hospital. At the time, Mayo Clinic led the nation in total joint replacement surgical procedures.

The cement used to make joint replacements possible was first used and studied in the United States at Mayo Clinic, after being originally researched in England.