USE OF CONSTRAINED SOCKETS: MORE PROBLEMS THAN THEY SOLVE – AFFIRMS

Abstract

Dislocation remains among the most common complications of, and reasons for, revision of both primary and revision total hip arthroplasties in the United States. Hence, there is great interest in maximising stability to prevent this complication.

Highly crosslinked polyethylene has allowed us to increase femoral head size, without a clinically important increase in wear. As femoral head size increases, stability is augmented, secondary to a decrease in component-to-component impingement, which is theoretically eliminated at head sizes greater than 36mm in diameter (however osseous impingement can still occur). Larger heads sizes also greatly increase the “jump distance” required for the head to dislocate (in an appropriately positioned cup) and eliminate the need for skirts. Hence, large heads have become the mainstay for preventing and treating instability in contemporary practice. Large heads, however, have been shown to have poor performance in patients with abductor insufficiency.

Constrained liners are a tantalising solution to both prevent and treat instability, as they markedly increase the force needed for a dislocation to occur. They have, however, several important negatives that the surgeon must consider before entertaining their use including:

1. –

   Increased stresses at the implant bone interface which can increase the risk of loosening or cause catastrophic failure in the early post-operative period

2. –

   Decreased range of motion with a greater risk of impingement

3. –

   Usually require an open reduction if they dislocate or otherwise fail

Given the limitations of constrained liners, we have moved to dual mobility articulations in most situations where we would have used a constrained liner in the past, including patients with abductor deficiency. These articulations offer anatomic sized femoral heads that greatly increase the jump distance, without many of the negatives of a constrained liner. While dual mobility is associated with its own concerns and problems (including intraprosthetic dislocation and wear) our initial results suggest that they are a viable alternative to a constrained liner, even in the most challenging situations.