Revision total hip arthroplasty (rTHA) in the presence of femoral defects can be technically challenging. Reconstruction with long stems is widely accepted as the standard. However long stems can be difficult to insert and can compromise distal bone stock for future revisions. The aims of this study were to identify whether there was a difference in survival and outcomes following rTHA using a long versus standard or short femoral stem. A comprehensive systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Chochrane Library and Web of Science databases. Inclusion criteria were (i) adult patients >18 years; (ii) randomised controlled trials, joint registry, or cohort studies; (iii) single or staged rTHA for Paprosky 1–3B femoral defects. Exclusion criteria were (i) mixed reporting without subgroup analysis for revision stem length; (ii) ex-vivo studies. Screening for eligibility and assessment of studies was performed by the authors. Out of 341 records, 9 studies met criteria for analysis (including 1 study utilising joint registry data and 1 randomised controlled trial). Across studies there were 3102 rTHAs performed in 2982 patients with a mean age of 67.4 years and a male: female ratio of 0.93. Revision prostheses were long-stemmed in 1727 cases and short or standard in 1375 cases with a mean follow up of 5 years (range, 0-15 years). On subgroup analysis the use of a long cemented stem compared to a long cementless prosthesis was associated with fewer complications and periprosthetic fracture in older patients. Survivorship was 95% with short stems compared to 84% with long stems at 5 years. Moderate quality evidence suggests that in rTHA with Paprosky type 1-3B femoral defects, the use of a short or standard stem can achieve comparable outcomes to long stems with fewer significant complications and revisions. Using a shorter stem may yield a more straightforward surgical technique and can preserve distal bone stock for future revision.
Safe and meticulous removal of the femoral cement mantle and cement restrictor can be a challenging process in revision total hip arthroplasty (rTHA). Many proximal femoral osteotomies have been described to access this region however they can be associated with fracture, non-union and revision stem instability. The aim of this study is to report outcomes of our previously unreported vascularised anterior window to the proximal femur. We report on a cohort of patients who underwent cemented single and staged rTHA at our single institution by the same surgeon between 2012 and 2017 using a novel vascularised anterior window of the femur to extract the cement mantle and restrictor safely under direct vision. We describe our technique, which maintains the periosteal and muscular attachments to the osteotomised fragment, which is then repaired with a polymer cerclage cable. In all revisions a polished, taper slip, long stem Exeter was cemented. Primary outcome measures included the time taken for union and the patient reported WOMAC score. Thirty-two rTHAs were performed in 29 consecutive patients (13 female, 16 male) with a mean age of 63.4 years (range, 47–88). The indications for revision included infection, aseptic loosening and implant malpositioning. Mean follow up was 5.3 (range, 3.2–8 years). All femoral windows achieved radiographic union by a mean of 7.2 weeks. At the latest point in follow-up the mean WOMAC score was 21.6 and femoral component survivorship was 100%. There were no intraoperative complications or additional revision surgery. Our proposed vascularised anterior windowing technique of the femur is a safe and reproducible method to remove the distal femoral cement and restrictor under direct vision without the need for perilous instruments. This method also preserves the proximal bone stock and provides the surgeon with the option of cemented stems over uncemented revision implants that predominantly rely on distal fixation.
