Effectiveness of total hip arthroplasty (THA) for acute fracture of the femoral neck is still debated. The purpose of this retrospective controlled study was to compare the results of THA done for fracture of the femoral neck with a similar group of matched THAs done for osteoarthritis (OA). From 1993 to 2000, 25 patients (25 hips) had THA for displaced femoral neck fracture. There were 18 women and 7 men, with a mean age of 73+/− 8.5 years (range, 55 to 93 years). The control group was composed of 25 patients (27 hips) who had THA for primary OA. Patients were matched for age, sex, medical comorbidity, surgical approach, prosthesis, and surgeon. Cemented implants with a Me-PE couple were used in the great majority. All patients had radiographic assessment. Functional results were rated according to the grading system of Merle d’Aubigné. One patient (one hip) was lost to follow-up in each group. The mean follow-up was 6 years (range, 3.5 to 10 years). No revision was performed in this series. Complications included one postoperative dislocation in both groups. At the last follow up evaluation, 21 hips and 23 hips were classified excellent or very good in the “fracture” group and in the control group respectively. No progressive radiolucent line and no osteolysis were recorded. Mean annual PE wear was 0.096 +/− 0.094 (range, 0 to 0.26 mm) in the studied group compared with 0.125+/− 0.095 (range, 0 to 0.24 mm) in the control (p=0.30). THA for acute femoral neck fracture and THA for OA provided comparable mid to long term results in elderly patients.
From 1979 to 2002, 131 total hip replacement were performed consecutively in patients less than 30 years of age (13 to 30,7 mean 24;2) in 75 patients (44 in males and 31 in females. Seventy six in 57 patients could have more than 2 years follow-up and will presented hereby. Regarding the type of prosthesis, 59 stem were cemented and 16 cementless. Five different socket were implanted: 6 screw-in metal back: 8 bulky cemented, 23 bulky cementless, 13 metalback press fit with titanium mesh and 26 HA covered. Underlying diseases were Avascular necrosis in 46, 8 inflammatory disease, 6 after infected articulation, epiphysiolysis in 4 and acetabular fracture in 3. 48 were done primarily, 28 were a revision procedure and 10 had some past history of infection. Mean follow up was 7,84 years (range 1,13-22,9). One patient (two hips deceased at 1,1 year. One hips was lost to follow-up. 73 had complete clinical and radiological evaluation. Nine hips were revised from 2,97-18,64 years after the index procedure (mean 8,53). In 7 only the socket was revised, in two both components. Two of these were infected (secondary infection in one). Of the remaining: 45 had no pain, 18 slight uncommon pain, 10 were classified 5 and 8 had some limp. Radiological evaluation: 56 had no lucent lines nor subsidence, 4 had some radiolucent line none progressive and 1 had a complete lucent line: and is considered as impending failure. In no case osteosysis was documented. With the exception of socket loosening due to non optimal design of the initial system (bulky alumina cemented or cementless) the overall results are in favor of theis material in young and active patients.
Controversy exists with regard to the thickness of cement mantles that are necessary around the femoral components of cemented total hip arthroplasties. Conventional teaching, based on bench-top or computor models and theoretical analyses, as well as post-mortem &
follow-up studies, suggests that the cement mantle should be complete and not less than 2–3mm in thickness. Mantles that are less than this are held to be at risk from mechanical failure in the long term; if they are incomplete, focal lysis may occur and progress to aseptic loosening. However, long term experience with a number of French cemented femoral components suggests that these conventions may be erroneous. These French femoral components include the Charnley-Kerboull (stainless steel) and the Ceraver Osteal (Ti6Al4V) stems, in both of which the underlying design principle is that the stem should completely fill the femoral canal, the cement then being used purely to fill the gaps. Such a design philosophy implies that the cement mantles will be very thin, and since both of these stems are straight and the femoral medullary canal is not, the mantles may not only be thin, but also in places incomplete. Conventional teaching would suggest that any stem utilising mantles of this type would fail from a combination of focal lysis and cement fracture. Yet the long term results of both of these stems have been outstandingly good, with extremely low levels of aseptic loosening and endosteal lysis, irrespective of the bearing combinations being used. Both these stems have a surface finish of Ra <
0.1 microns. A third French design, the Fare stem, manufactured from Ti6Al4V and based on the same principles, was associated with bad results when manufactured with a rough (>
1.5 microns) surface, and appreciably better results after the surface roughness was changed to <
0.1 microns. These findings, that constitute the ‘French Paradox’, have profound implications for the mechanical behaviour of cement in the femur and for the mechanisms that underlie stem failure from loosening.
In order to avoid the consequences of polyethylene wear in a high-risk population, 128 alumina-alumina total hip arthroplasty were implanted in 116 consecutive patients of 40 years old or less. Osteonecrosis and sequellae of congenital hip dislocation were the main etiologies representing 71% of the hips. The same titanium alloy cemented stem was implanted in all hips. Four alumina acetabular component fixations were used: cemented plain alumina socket (41 hips), screw-in ring with an alumina insert (22 hips), a press-fit plain alumina socket (32 hips) and a press-fit titanium metal back with an alumina insert (33 hips). Eight patients (11 hips) died during the follow-up period. Sixteen revisions were documented, 12 for ace-tabular aseptic loosening, 3 for bipolar loosening (2 were septic), and 1 for unexplained pain. Eighty-nine hips were followed radiologically for two to twenty years. No femoral nor acetabular osteolysis were observed with an average follow-up of 8.4 years. Wear was unmeasurable. Four additional sockets showed definite migration. The respective survival rate at 7 years were 91.4% for the cemented cup, 88.8% for the screw-in ring, 95.1% for cementless press-fit plain alumina socket and 94.3% for the metal-back press-fit component. The ten-year survival rate was 88.0% for the cemented socket and 88.8% for the screw-in ring. The fifteen-year survival rate was 76.7% for the cemented socket. The occurrence of a graft was the only prognostic factor with a 62.6% survival rate at ten years for the grafted hips and a 90.1% for the non-grafted hips (p=0.004). The alumina-alumina bearing surfaces for young patients appeared as a valuable alternative to standard metal-polyethylene system. There is a need to improve socket fixation if we want to have a survival of the arthroplasty as long as the life expectancy of this increasing and demanding population. The last design with a fully coated HA titanium shell and an alumina liner seems to fulfill the requirements.
There are also intraoperative risks of neural damage: sciatic nerve as well as gluteus medius nerve. On the other hand , modern surgical technique including an alumina against alumina bearing could allow very long term survival without any activity limitation and this even in very young patients. Secondary procedure after a failed osteosynthesis provides statistically worse functional results than primary total hip. The surgery is more difficult because of hardware retrieval, nerve dissection, bone reconstruction and remaining muscular dysfunction.
There were 22 neural disorder; 19 sciatic palsies; 13 post trauma; 4 post osteosynthesis; 2 post THR; 3 gluteus medius palsy. 7 sepsis: 4 post osteosynthesis, 3 post THR (including 2 post osteosynthesis).
Many weak results could have been avoided by doing fine primary surgery. We could expect better functional results with less complications regarding sepsis, nerve damage, muscle preservation if we perform a primary total hip in conjunctions with acetabular reconstruction. Osteosynthesis is still recommended for simple acetabular fracture with large displacement involvement of the posterior wall or one column not comminuted.
Severe acetabular fractures are difficult to treat. Complications include blood loss, neural damage, long operating times, and a high risk of sepsis and failure. Even when the fracture is ideally stabilised, there is a major risk of secondary osteoarthritis. This can be related to bone necrosis, cartilage surface damage, bone loss. However, even in young patients modern surgical techniques, including use of an alumina-against-alumina bearing, may facilitate long-term survival without limitation of activity. Functionally, the results of secondary procedures after failed osteosynthesis are statistically worse than after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). The surgery is difficult because of material retrieval difficulties, nerve dissection, bone reconstruction and remaining muscular dysfunction. We reviewed the results of 80 THA procedures done between 1980 and 1998 to treat 58 acetabular fractures. The mean age of our 57 patients (39 men and 18 women) was 50 years (21 to 80). The mean delay between fracture and THA was 10 years in 22 patients who had undergone osteosynthesis and six years in 35 patients who had been treated conservatively. The mean follow-up period was 5,5 years (6 months to 20 years). There were eight instances of socket loosening, two of which were septic and six aseptic. Two of these patients had screw-in prostheses and six had cemented. There were 19 sciatic palsies, 13 of which developed after trauma, four after osteosynthesis and two after THA. There were three cases of gluteus medius palsy. In two of four cases of sepsis that occurred after osteosynthesis, sepsis recurred after THA, and in one patient sepsis developed after THA. In this limited series, patients who underwent THA after osteosynthesis did not have as good an outcome as those in whom initial orthopaedic treatment was followed some weeks later by THA. We believe many poor results could have been avoided with better primary surgery. Functional results are likely to be better, and the incidence of complications lower, if primary THA is performed in conjunction with acetabular reconstruction. Of course, for treatment of simple acetabular fracture involving major displacement of the posterior wall, one column osteosynthesis is still recommended.
Alumina-on-alumina bearings in total hip arthroplasty (THA) were introduced about 30 years ago. Theoretically, their excellent tribological properties and low debris generation provide a solution to osteolysis. The 24-year experience of the Paris group suggests that osteolysis is no longer a problem. Any need for revision was related to mechanical failure rather than to debris, except in a few cases in which a pros-thesis that had been loose for many years resulting in metal-on-ceramic impingement. Cemented socket and screw-in ring metal-backed alumina yielded poor results. The recent improvements in alumina quality and in ceramic fixation, using cementless fully coated hydroxyapatite material, may provide a solution in active young patients. Preliminary results of the first 100 THA procedures using a cementless stem and socket and 32-mm alumina head, and alumina liner secured with a Morse taper, are very encouraging. One socket required revision because of poor initial surgery in a severe acetabular fracture. Patients ranged in age from 14 to 71 years (median 45 years).