Vertebroplasty has been developed during the last decade in France as a method to relieve pain in patients suffering from a metastatic disease of the spine, that are poor surgical candidates. The indications include: mechanical pain, compression fractures, lytic bone metastasis. Contra-indications include neurological compromise, breaching of the posterior wall, complete pedicle destruction or a large anterior soft-tissue mass. Relative contra-indications include a single resectable metastasis and a radiation sensitive tumor. The method has been refined during the last few years by the introduction of specialized delivery systems and tailor-made bone cements. The state of the art of this emerging technique will be discusses as well as some exciting future developments such as cements that can actively destroy tumors by physical or chemical modifications

INTRODUCTION. Femoral neck narrowing (NN) following Metal-on-Metal Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty (MoMHRA) is a well-recognised clinical phenomenon. The incidence of resurfaced hips with NN > 10% is reported to be up to 27%. Its pathogenesis is thought to be multi-factorial secondary to stress shielding, impingement, osteolysis secondary to wear/ion particles and as a result of reduced vascularity and pressure effect on cancellous bone secondary to the presence of a soft-tissue mass around the resurfaced hip. Recognised risk factors for its development include: female gender and the presence of a pseudotumour. Serum Chromium (Cr) and Cobalt (Co) are recognised surrogate markers of in-vivo wear of MoMHRA. The aims of this study were to establish whether NN is associated with increased wear. METHODS. A cohort of 214 patients with unilateral MoMHRA (139M: 75F) was included in this study. Primary osteoarthritis was the diagnosis leading to surgery for the majority of patients (208). The average age at surgery was 54.1 years old (13–73). Six different implants were used; BHR (116), Conserve plus (92), Recap (2), ASR (2), Adept (1) and Cormet (1). The average femoral component size was 49.2mm (range: 38–59). The average follow up was 4.3 years (range: 2–10). Patients were subdivided into 3 groups as per implant size. Small size component group had implants <45mm, average size group had components 45–51mm and large component size group had components >51mm. All patients had Prosthesis-Junction-Ratio (PJR) measured from postoperative (PJRpost) and at latest follow up (PJRfollow) radiographs. Measurements were made using the method described by Lilikakis1. Metal ion levels (Cr/Co) were measured at last follow-up for all patients. Cr level >5.1g/ml and Co levels >4.4 g/ml were considered high2 and patients with such levels formed the high ion group. RESULTS. For the whole cohort, mean NN was 3.2% (range: 0–32%, SD:4.3). Females (4.7%, range: 0–32%, SD: 5.8) had significantly greater NN than males (2.4%, range: 0–23%, SD: 2.9) (p=0.001). Patients in the large component group had less NN (2.1%, SD: 2.3) in comparison to the average (3.2%, SD: 3.7%) (p=0.046) and the small (5.9%, SD: 7.9) (p=0.007) component size groups. There was no difference in NN between small and average sized components (p=0.1). Patients in the high ion group (25 patients) had significantly greater NN than patients with low ions (10.1%, range: 1%–32%, SD: 8.3 Vs 2.3%, range: 0–11, SD 2.3) (p<0.0001). NN >10% was seen in 16 hips (7.5%). The odds ratio of having high ions if NN >10% was 125 (p<0.001). DISCUSSION. The findings of this study showed that greater NN occurs in females and patients with small components and in patients with high ions. Furthermore, hips with NN >10% should be investigated further as they are more likely to have increased wear

Introduction: Symptomatic abnormal soft-tissue masses relating to the hip joint, such as those described as pseudotumours, are being increasingly reported following metal-on-metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty (MoMHRA). These were found to be locally destructive, requiring revision surgery in a high proportion (75%) of patients. Lymphocyte infiltrations seen in pseudotumours were similar to aseptic lymphocyte vascular associated lesion (ALVAL), which is thought to represent a T-lymphocyte-mediated delayed type hypersensitivity. Therefore, a delayed hypersensitivity reaction to nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr) or cobalt (Co) has been suggested to play a role in pseudotumour aetiology. In patients with bilateral MoMHRA who presented with symptoms on one side, subsequent scans have demonstrated pseudotumours both on the symptomatic and asymptomatic side. Thus, there are concerns that there may be an appreciable number of asymptomatic pseudotumours that surgeons are unaware of and these may eventually become symptomatic. Aim: The aims of this study were:. to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic pseudotumours after MoMHRA; and. to measure Co and Cr ion levels as well as lymphocyte proliferation responses to Ni, Co and Cr (the principal elements in the CoCr alloy used in MoMHRA) in MoMHRA patients with and without asymptomatic pseudotumours. Methods: A total of 201 MoMHRA implanted hips in 158 patients (97 male, 61 female) with a mean age of 56 years (range 33–73 years) were evaluated. The mean follow-up was 61 months (range 13–88 months). Resurfacing devices implanted included 128 Birmingham Hip Resurfacing, 66 Conserve Plus and seven ReCap. The control groups included additional 20 patients, 10 male and 10 female (a mean age 68 years, range 57–80 years) with metal-on-polyethylene total hip arthroplasty and a further 22 age-matched patients (a mean age 55 years) without any metal implants. Ultrasound was used as the initial imaging modality and MRI was used to assess the extent of the identified masses. Patients with a soft-tissue mass had ultrasound-guided aspiration or core biopsy performed. Venous blood samples were collected in all patients for serum cobalt and chromium ion levels analysis using Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer and lymphocyte transformation tests (LTT). The Oxford Hip Score (OHS) was used to measure the functional outcomes of patients. Acetabular component abduction angle was measured from standardised anteroposterior pelvis radiographs. Results: Prevalence – Pseudotumours were found in 7 patients (6 female and 1 male). The overall prevalence of asymptomatic pseudotumours was 4%, with a relatively very high (30%) prevalence in females with bilateral implants. Histological examinations showed extensive necrosis of connective tissue, in which there were scattered aggregates of metal particles and a diffuse lymphocyte infiltrate. Metal Ion Levels – The presence of pseudotumour was associated with significantly higher median serum cobalt levels (9.2mg/L vs. 1.9mg/L, p< 0.001), chromium levels (12.0mg/L vs. 2.1mg/L, p< 0.001), hip aspirate cobalt levels (1182 mg/L vs. 86.2mg/L, p=0.003), and aspirate chromium levels (883mg/L vs. 114.8mg/ L, p=0.006), as well as with inferior functional scores (OHS 41 vs. 47 p< 0.001). There was no significant difference in acetabular cup inclination angle (p=0.51). Lymphocyte Reactivity: A higher incidence and level of enhanced lymphocyte reactivity to Ni (p=0.001), but not to Co or Cr (the principal elements in the CoCr alloy used in metal-on-metal hip resurfacing implants), was found in patients with MoMHRA compared to the patients without MoM implants. However, lymphocyte reactivity to Co, Cr and Ni did not significantly differ in patients with pseudotumours compared to those patients without pseudotumours. Conclusion: The prevalence of asymptomatic pseudotumours in females was high, especially in females with bilateral MoMHRA implants (30%). The patients with ‘asymptomatic’ pseudotumours were in fact mildly symptomatic. Lymphocyte reactivity to Co, Cr and Ni did not differ in patients with pseudotumour compared to those patients without pseudotumours, suggesting that systemic hypersensitivity type IV reactions, mediated by lymphocyte reactivity to these metals, is not the dominant mechanism in pathogenesis of the soft tissue pseudotumours. Furthermore, pseudotumours were not detected in those patients who had normal levels of cobalt and chromium ions. This suggests that pseudotumours do not occur if MoM articulations are well functioning. Therefore, pseudotumours are likely to be a biological consequence of the large amount of metal debris generated in vivo due to excessive wear

Aims

Large-diameter metal-on-metal (MoM) total hip arthroplasty (THA) has demonstrated unexpected high failure rates and pseudotumour formation. The purpose of this prospective cohort study is to report ten-year results in order to establish revision rate, prevalence of pseudotumour formation, and relation with whole blood cobalt levels.

Objectives

The goal of this study is to investigate the relation between indicators of osteoporosis (i.e., bone mineral density (BMD), and Cortical Index (CI)) and the complexity of a fracture of the proximal humerus as a result of a low-energy trauma.

Objectives

To assess the accuracy of patient-specific instruments (PSIs) versus standard manual technique and the precision of computer-assisted planning and PSI-guided osteotomies in pelvic tumour resection.

Objectives

The high revision rates of the DePuy Articular Surface Replacement (ASR) and the DePuy ASR XL (the total hip arthroplasty (THA) version) have led to questions over the viability of metal-on-metal (MoM) hip joints. Some designs of MoM hip joint do, however, have reasonable mid-term performance when implanted in appropriate patients. Investigations into the reasons for implant failure are important to offer help with the choice of implants and direction for future implant designs. One way to assess the performance of explanted hip prostheses is to measure the wear (in terms of material loss) on the joint surfaces.

Pathological assessment of periprosthetic tissues is important, not only for diagnosis, but also for understanding the pathobiology of implant failure. The host response to wear particle deposition in periprosthetic tissues is characterised by cell and tissue injury, and a reparative and inflammatory response in which there is an innate and adaptive immune response to the material components of implant wear. Physical and chemical characteristics of implant wear influence the nature of the response in periprosthetic tissues and account for the development of particular complications that lead to implant failure, such as osteolysis which leads to aseptic loosening, and soft-tissue necrosis/inflammation, which can result in pseudotumour formation. The innate response involves phagocytosis of implant-derived wear particles by macrophages; this is determined by pattern recognition receptors and results in expression of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors promoting inflammation and osteoclastogenesis; phagocytosed particles can also be cytotoxic and cause cell and tissue necrosis. The adaptive immune response to wear debris is characterised by the presence of lymphoid cells and most likely occurs as a result of a cell-mediated hypersensitivity reaction to cell and tissue components altered by interaction with the material components of particulate wear, particularly metal ions released from cobalt-chrome wear particles.

Cite this article: Professor N. A. Athanasou. The pathobiology and pathology of aseptic implant failure. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:162–168. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.55.BJR-2016-0086.

The August 2013 Oncology Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: spinal osteosarcoma: all hope is not lost; intralesional curettage for low-grade chondrosarcoma?; isolated limb perfusion is a salvage option; worryingly high infection rates in patients with endoprostheses; how bad is endoprosthetic infection?; operatively treated metastatic disease; and cementoplasty gives immediate pain relief

The June 2012 Oncology Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: avoiding pelvic hemipelvectomy; proximal femoral metastasis; extendible prostheses; rotationplasty; soft-tissue sarcomas; osteosarcoma of the pelvis; recurrent chondrosarcoma ; MRI and the differentiation between benign and malignant lesions; and malignant fibrous histiocytoma.

Objectives

Pseudotumours (abnormal peri-prosthetic soft-tissue reactions) following metal-on-metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty (MoMHRA) have been associated with elevated metal ion levels, suggesting that excessive wear may occur due to edge-loading of these MoM implants. This study aimed to quantify in vivo edge-loading in MoMHRA patients with and without pseudotumours during functional activities.