Abstract We used a large prospective institutional registry to determine if there is a ‘safe zone’ that exists for acetabular component position within which the risk of hip dislocation is low and if other patient and implant factors affect the risk of hip dislocation. Patients who reported a dislocation event within six months after hip arthroplasty surgery were identified, and acetabular component position was measured with anteroposterior radiographs. The frequency of dislocation was 2.1% (147 of 7040 patients). No significant difference was found in the number of dislocated hips among the radiographic zones (± 5°, ± 10°, ± 15° boundaries). Dislocators < 50 years old were less active preoperatively than nondislocators ( P = 0.006). Acetabular component position alone is not protective against instability.