RISK FACTORS FOR INTRAOPERATIVE FRACTURES IN CEMENTLESS HIP ARTHROPLASTY

Abstract

Introduction and Objectives: One of the complications of hip arthroplasty is intraoperative fractures of the femur. In this study, we reviewed the incidence of intraoperative fractures in 118 hip arthroplasty surgeries using a stem from Meridian Howmedica, Rutherford, New Jersey, in an attempt to analyse the risk factors for intra-operative fractures and their relationship to short-term radiographic characteristics of the prosthesis. Our aim is to determine if there are risk factors associated with a higher incidence of intraoperative fractures in the following categories: patient, shape and dimensions of the femur, and relative size of the implant with respect to the medullary cavity. We will also determine if short-term follow up of patients with fractures yields radiographic information to indicate early loosening of the prosthesis.

Materials and Methods: We studied 118 implants from consecutive operations performed from January 1997 to December 2000. The following variables were evaluated: general patient factors; local factors (characteristics of the femur); previous treatments, degree of femoral osteoporosis, type of femur, cervicodiaphyseal angle, femoral flring, “canal flare index”, cortical index, canal width 20mm proximal to the lesser trochanter, at the lesser trochanter, and 20mm distal to the lesser trochanter, pre-operative proximal and distal measurement of the stem, and if this coincides with the actual size of the stem; intraoperative factors: type of anaesthesia, patient positioning, surgical approach, experience of the surgeon, surgical time, the need for transfusion and number of units, the use of prophylactic cerclage, detection and localization of the intraoperative femoral fracture, and treatment of the same when they occurred; postoperative radiographic factors: level of cutting femoral neck, orientation of the stem (varus or valgus), proximal and distal stem size, proximal and distal packing of the canal, and length of the neck of the head of the prosthesis; radiographic factors 12 months postoperatively: stem orientation (varus or valgus), rounding of the calcar, cortical thickening, osteolysis, osteopenia, the presence of a ledge, the presence of lines of sclerosis, sinking of the stem, loosening of the ball, and the type of integration of the stem into the bone.

Results: Of the 118 cases that were studied, intraoperative fractures occurred in 13 cases, representing an incidence of 11.01%, a somewhat higher rate than others have reported. We analyzed the occurrence of fractures in relation to the different variables in our study. We found a higher incidence of fractures in type A femurs (p< 0.05) and in cases of greater proximal filling by the implant (p< 0.05).

Discussion and Conclusions: Though our study is limited in number of patients and length of follow-up time, it has demonstrated that the incidence of intraoperative fractures is associated with a narrow metaphyseal medullary cavity and predominately with a type A femur, which is a femur with low “canal flare index” values. Furthermore, since the risk of fracture is greater when we attempt to significantly adjust the size of the pros-thesis to the metaphysis, the incidence of fractures was higher when proximal filling was higher. However, cases of prosthesis with fractures did not present with radiographic appearance after 12 months that was worse than those femurs that were not fractured.