Introduction. The management of periprosthetic pelvic bone loss is a challenging problem in hip revision surgery. This study evaluates the minimum 10-year clinical and radiographic outcome of major column structural allografts combined with the Burch-Schneider antiprotrusio cage for acetabular reconstruction. Methods. From January 1992 to August 2005, 106 hips with periprosthetic osteolysis underwent acetabular revision using massive allografts and the Burch-Schneider antiprotrusio cage. Forty-five patients (49 hips) died for unrelated causes without further surgery. Fifty-nine hips in 59 patients underwent clinical and radiographic evaluation at an average follow-up of 15.1 years. There were 17 male and 42 female patients, with age ranging from 29 to 83 years (mean 59). Results. Ten hips required rerevision because of infection (3), aseptic loosening (6), and flange breakage (1). Moreover, 4 cages showed x-ray signs of instability with severe bone resorption. The survivorship of the Burch-Schneider cage at 21.9 years with removal for any reason or radiographic migration and aseptic or radiographic failure as the end points were 76.3 and 81.4, respectively. The average Harris hip score improved from 33.2 points preoperatively to 75.7 points at the latest follow-up (p < 0.001). Discussion. In hip revision surgery, severe deficiency of pelvic bone stock is a critical concern because of the difficulty in providing a stable and durable fixation of the prosthesis. Although antiprotrusio cages have a limited role in acetabular revision, the use in association with massive allografts in extended bone loss demonstrated highly successful long-term results, enabling bone stock restoration and cup stability.

Introduction: In two-stage revision of an infected total hip replacement a preformed temporary antibiotic-loaded polymethylmethacrylate spacer may be required in order to allow weightbearing and joint motion while ensuring antibiotic local release.

Methods: 29 patients with infected hips were treated by a two-stage procedure including removal of prosthesis and implantation of a spacer. The device comprised a stem with 3 available head sizes pre-coated by bone cement supplemented with gentamicin (2.5% w/w) and vancomycin (2.5% w/w). Joint motion and weight-bearing were allowed when the bone stock ensured an adequate stability to the spacer. Systemic antibiotics were administered for 8 weeks. The spacer remained in situ for an average of 155 (range 70–272) days. Reimplantation was performed when recovery of clinical and serological signs of infection was obtained. Patients’ evaluation included clinical assessment (HHS), standard x-ray and laboratory parameters.

Results: mean follow-up was 52 months (range 36–100). Healing of the infection was obtained in 27/29 cases (93.1%). 5 patients required resection-arthroplasty (2 persistent infections, 2 inadequate bone stock, 1 recurrent infection). In 4 cases the spacer dislocated, being treated by non-surgical reduction. The reimplanted patients (24) showed no clinical or laboratory signs of infection recurrence, with a mean HHS score of 79 (range 53 to 100); no radiographic signs of loosening were observed.

Discussion: the use of a preformed antibiotic-loaded spacer in two-stage revisions, allowing a local antibiotic release together with some degree of joint motion, appears to enhance infection’s treatment improving patients’ quality of life and functional recovery.

Introduction: The management of periprosthetic osteolysis is a challenging problem in revision hip arthroplasty. Filling acetabular bone defects with structural allografts resulted in early failure due to resorption of the graft. The application in combination with reinforcement rings should promote bone incorporation as a result of reduced mechanical stresses. This study evaluates the long-term results in the treatment of acetabular deficiencies using bulk allografts supported with a Burch-Schneider Anti-Protrusio Cage (APC).

Materials and Methods: From January 1992 to December 1995, 69 consecutive patients underwent revision surgery following periprosthetic osteolysis and aseptic loosening of the cup. Acetabular bone loss included IIIA and IIIB types according to Paproski classification. 12 patients died for unrelated causes with a well-functioning total hip arthroplasty in situ. 3 cases were lost at follow-up. The study group consisted of 56 hips in 54 patients. There were 11 males and 43 females, aged from 33 to 84 years (medium 65). Average follow-up was 11.7 years, ranging from 10 to 14.4. Surgical procedure included filling acetabular bone defects with bulk allografts supported with a Burch-Schneider APC which was fixed with screws to the iliac bone. A poly-ethylene cup was finally cemented into the metal cage. Deambulation was allowed one week after surgery, but weightbearing was delayed two months. Clinical evaluation was determined using Harris hip score (HHS). The stability of the acetabular implant was assessed according to Gill criteria. The progression of the bone graft was evaluated using Gross grading.

Results: 2 patients developed deep infection that was treated by resection-arthroplasty. Aseptic loosening of acetabular cage following an extensive resorption of bone graft was observed in 6 cases and 3 of them underwent rerevision. X-ray signs of graft incorporation occurred in 48 hips. Average HHS values of 30 (range, 11 to 81) and 75 (range, 28 to 100) points were assessed respectively in the preoperative time and at follow-up.

Discussion and Conclusions: In severe acetabular bone deficiencies the application of reinforcement rings in combination with massive allografts has been advocated in order to prevent bone graft resorption and cup loosening. Burch-Schneider Anti-Protrusio Cage is able to protect the graft spanning bone defects and promoting augmentation of periprosthetic bone stock. With an aseptic failure rate of 8.9% and a total survival rate of 85.7% at an average of 11.7 years, the use of APC and structural allograft proved out to be an effective procedure in the long-term reconstructive treatment of extensive loss of acetabular bone stock.

Preoperative autologous blood donation (PABD) is widely practised in elective orthopaedic surgery, but few data are available as regards recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) support during a PABD programme in children.

In January 1999 we introduced a PABD protocol with erythropoietin (10000 U s.c. twice weekly during the 3 weeks preceding surgery) in children who were scheduled for corrective surgery of scoliosis. Between January 1999 and November 2003, 23 consecutive patients (five males and 18 females, median age 15.1 years) were enrolled. Preoperative haemoglobin (Hb) levels, the numbers of collected and of autologous and allogeneic blood transfused units were determined. The results were compared with a historical group of 28 consecutive patients (seven males and 21 females, median age 15.4 years) who underwent spinal surgery between January 1994 and December 1998 and who differed from the first group only by the absence of concomitant erythropoietin therapy.

Administration of rHuEpo allowed all patients to complete the PABD programme, whereas 36% of patients in the non-treated group had to stop predeposit because they developed anaemia. Furthermore, significantly higher numbers of collected blood units and haemoglobin levels were measured. A significantly lower requirement for allogeneic blood was observed in the rHuEpo-treated group: 1/23 vs. 9/28 patients (4.3%–32.1%, p < 0.001).

The present study documents the efficacy of presurgical rHuEpo in facilitating autologous blood collection, thus reducing exposure to allogeneic blood, in paediatric patients undergoing corrective spinal surgery.

The management of infected total hip replacements is a challenging problem in orthopaedic surgery. Two-stage revision procedures usually involve the application of a temporary antibiotic-loaded polymethylmethacrylate spacer. A preformed spacer which allows weight-bearing and joint motion while ensuring a sustained antibiotic release was evaluated.

From September 1996 to March 2002, 26 consecutive patients with an infected total hip arthroplasty were treated by the insertion of an industrially preformed temporary spacer (Spacer-G®). This device comprises a cylindrical stainless-steel rod coated with bone cement supplemented with gentamicin (1.9% w/w) and vancomycin (2.5% w/w). The spacer is currently available in three sizes of head diameter, each size with two stem lengths. Joint mobilisation and assisted weight-bearing were permitted when the bone stock provided adequate mechanical stability of the spacer. Patients’ evaluation included clinical assessment and standard X-ray and laboratory parameters. Reimplantation was performed when serological parameters had normalised.

The spacer remained in situ for an average of 155 (70–272) days, allowing healing of the infection in 24 cases. Five patients required resection arthroplasty (two persistent infections, two inadequate local bone conditions and one acute recurrence of infection). A second spacer was implanted after 4 months in one subject. In four cases the spacer dislocated, because the head diameter was too small or because of a rotational instability of the stem in the femur. The successfully-reimplanted patients (21) were assessed with a mean 53 (22–88) months of follow-up, showing no clinical or bio-humoral signs of infection recurrence. Functional outcome was satisfactory with a mean value of Harris Hip Score of 79 (53–100), and no radiographic aspects of loosening were observed.

The Spacer-G® used in the two-stage revision of infected total hip replacements permitted an effective local antibiotic release together with some range of joint motion, which improved the quality of life of the patients during treatment of infection and accelerated recovery of function after reimplantation.