Aims

This study aimed to investigate the optimal sagittal positioning of the uncemented femoral component in total knee arthroplasty to minimize the risk of aseptic loosening and periprosthetic fracture.

Aims

The Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR) was introduced in 1997 to address the needs of young active patients using a historically proven large-diameter metal-on-metal (MoM) bearing. A single designer surgeon’s consecutive series of 130 patients (144 hips) was previously reported at five and ten years, reporting three and ten failures, respectively. The aim of this study was to extend the follow-up of this original cohort at 25 years.

Aims

Isolated acetabular liner exchange with a highly crosslinked polyethylene (HXLPE) component is an option to address polyethylene wear and osteolysis following total hip arthroplasty (THA) in the presence of a well-fixed acetabular shell. The liner can be fixed either with the original locking mechanism or by being cemented within the acetabular component. Whether the method used for fixation of the HXLPE liner has any bearing on the long-term outcomes is still unclear.

Aims. The aim of this investigation was to compare risk of infection in both cemented and uncemented hemiarthroplasty (HA) as well as in total hip arthroplasty (THA) following femoral neck fracture. Methods. Data collection was performed using the German Arthroplasty Registry (EPRD). In HA and THA following femoral neck fracture, fixation method was divided into cemented and uncemented prostheses and paired according to age, sex, BMI, and the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index using Mahalanobis distance matching. Results. Overall in 13,612 cases of intracapsular femoral neck fracture, 9,110 (66.9%) HAs and 4,502 (33.1%) THAs were analyzed. Infection rate in HA was significantly reduced in cases with use of antibiotic-loaded cement compared with uncemented fixated prosthesis (p = 0.013). In patients with THA no statistical difference between cemented and uncemented prosthesis was registered, however after one year 2.4% of infections were detected in uncemented and 2.1% in cemented THA. In the subpopulation of HA after one year, 1.9% of infections were registered in cemented and 2.8% in uncemented HA. BMI (p = 0.001) and Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (p < 0.003) were identified as risk factors of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), while in THA cemented prosthesis also demonstrated an increased risk within the first 30 days (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.73; p = 0.010). Conclusion. The rate of infection after intracapsular femoral neck fracture was statistically significantly reduced in patients treated by antibiotic-loaded cemented HA. Particularly for patients with multiple risk factors for the development of a PJI, the usage of antibiotic-loaded bone cement seems to be a reasonable procedure for prevention of infection. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2023;12(5):331–338

To compare complications, survivorship and results in 2 groups of Furlong-HAP Active, one with ceramic-ceramic and the other with metal-XLPE friction pair. Prospective, non-randomized, comparison of 2 series of JRI uncemented prosthesis, implanted with identical protocol by 1 surgeon in 1 hospital from 2006 to 2014. Friction pair was ceramic (Biolox Forte or Delta) in 35 patients of 53.7+/−10.6 years (25–69) (21 males, 60%), and CrCo-XLPE in 65 cases of 69.0+/−8.9 years (42–81) (36 males, 55%); there were significant differences in age (p<0.00001) but not in sex (p=0.6565). Head diameter: Ce-Ce with 19 of 28mm, 9 of 32 and 7 of 36mm; Me-PE with 63 of 28mm, 1 of 32 and 1 of 36. Follow-up averaged 10.5+/−3.1 years (1–15) in ceramic and 9.8+/−3.8 years (2–15) in XLPE group. Pearson, Fisher, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Student, Mann-Whitney, calculated with the informatic tools Microsoft Excel 2007 and . https://www.socscistatistics.com/tests/. . Complications in ceramic joints: 2 late infections (Fisher exact test=0.6101) (1 DAIR, 1 one-stage exchange); 1 dislocation (Fisher exact test=0.2549) (closed reduction); 1 Vancouver C fracture (ORIF) (Fisher exact test=0.6548). Complications in Me-XLPE joints: 2 late infections (Fisher=0.6101) (1 DAIR, 1 two-stage exchange); 7 dislocations (Fisher=0.2549) (2 early, open reduction) (5 late: 3 closed reduction, 1 cup revision, 1 constrained cup); 4 Vancouver B fractures (Fisher=0.6548) (2 intraoperative, cerclages; 2 late, exchange). Final follow-up: Harris Hip Score averaged 93.2+/−13.7 (23–100) in ceramic and 94.3+/−8.7 (65–100) in XLPE joints (p=0.64552). Wear: 0.06+/−0.38mm (0–1.5) in ceramic and 0.16+/−0.5mm (0–2) in Me-PE THAs (p=0.30302). Osteolysis in Charnley-De Lee zones: 8 zones (6 patients) (17%) in ceramic cups, 25 zones (15 patients) (23%) in XLPE cups (p=0.980127). Survivorship without any surgery or closed reduction after 15 years: 91.0% in ceramic joints, 83.8% in Me-XLPE joints. Survivorship without component exchange after 15 years: 93.9% in ceramic joints, 93.6% in Me-XLPE joints. At least after 10 years follow-up of Furlong-HAP Active, metal-XLPE and ceramic-ceramic joints present no significant differences in complications, clinical score, wear, acetabular osteolysis, or survivorship without component exchange. On the contrary, survivorship without any surgery or closed reduction is different because of the high rate of dislocation in 28mm metal-poly joints

Aims

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients with post-polio residual paralysis (PPRP) is challenging. Despite relief in pain after THA, pre-existing muscle imbalance and altered gait may cause persistence of difficulty in walking. The associated soft tissue contractures not only imbalances the pelvis, but also poses the risk of dislocation, accelerated polyethylene liner wear, and early loosening.

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We report the medium-term outcomes of a consecutive series of 118 Zenith total ankle arthroplasties (TAAs) from a single, non-designer centre.

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The aim of this study was to develop a single-layer hybrid organic-inorganic sol-gel coating that is capable of a controlled antibiotic release for cementless hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated titanium orthopaedic prostheses.

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Periprosthetic fractures (PPFs) around cemented taper-slip femoral prostheses often result in a femoral component that is loose at the prosthesis-cement interface, but where the cement-bone interface remains well-fixed and bone stock is good. We aim to understand how best to classify and manage these fractures by using a modification of the Vancouver classification.

Aims

The aim of this study was to describe variation in hip fracture treatment in Norway expressed as adherence to international and national evidence-based treatment guidelines, to study factors influencing deviation from guidelines, and to analyze consequences of non-adherence.

Aims. Debate continues about whether it is better to use a cemented or uncemented hemiarthroplasty to treat a displaced intracapsular fracture of the hip. The aim of this study was to attempt to resolve this issue for contemporary prostheses. Methods. A total of 400 patients with a displaced intracapsular fracture of the hip were randomized to receive either a cemented polished tapered stem hemiarthroplasty or an uncemented Furlong hydroxyapatite-coated hemiarthroplasty. Follow-up was conducted by a nurse blinded to the implant at set intervals for up to one year from surgery. Results. A total of 115 patients died in the year after surgery. There was a tendency towards a slightly higher mortality in those treated with the uncemented prosthesis after one year (64 vs 51; p = 0.18). For the survivors, there was no significant difference in pain score at any of the time intervals. Patients treated using the cemented hemiarthroplasty recovered mobility better than those treated with the uncemented hemiarthroplasty (mean decrease in mobility score at one year: 1.7 vs 1.1, SD 1.9; p = 0.008). There was a tendency to more periprosthetic fractures in the uncemented group (five vs two cases; p = 0.45), but overall the need for further surgery was similar in both groups (nine vs seven cases). There were four perioperative deaths in the cemented group. Conclusion. These results indicate that a contemporary cemented hemiarthroplasty gives better results than an uncemented hemiarthroplasty for patients with a displaced intracapsular fracture of the hip. When the condition of the patient permits, a cemented hemiarthroplasty should be used. Cite this article: Bone Joint J. 2020;102-B(1):11–16

Aims

We report the long-term clinical and radiological outcomes of a consecutive series of 200 total ankle arthroplasties (TAAs, 184 patients) at a single centre using the Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement (STAR) implants.

Aims

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcome of using an anatomical short-stem shoulder prosthesis to treat primary osteoarthritis of the glenohumeral joint.

Introduction. Titanium nitride (TiN) coatings are used in total hip arthroplasty to reduce friction of bearing couples or to decrease the allergic potential of orthopaedic alloys. Little is known about performance of currently manufactured implants, since only few retrieval studies were performed, furthermore they included a small number of implants manufactured over 15 years ago. Aim of study. To examine wear and degradation of retrieved TiN coated femoral heads articulating with ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Methods. We included eight femoral heads with a made od TiAl6V4 alloy and coated with TiN using Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD). All heads (28 and 32 mm) were retrieved after at least 12 months of use (range 12–56). The reason for revision was aseptic loosening in 6 cases, septic loosening in one case and recurrent dislocations (five episodes) in one uncemented prosthesis. One unused head was included as reference sample. All implants were evaluated with light microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). 30 SEM images from each implant were digitally analysed using ImageJ software to compare damage in loaded and non weight-bearing parts of the heads. Results. Studies with light microscopy revealed severe damage to the dislocated femoral head, with multiple metallic scratches. SEM studies indicated presence of multiple scratches and pinholes with a diameter of 1–10 µm (Fig1a,b,). Residue from the manufacturing process was present in all implants in form of pure Ti droplets found in round voids. In all implants we found irregular areas (diam. 20–50 µm, Fig 1c,d) where the coating was delaminated from the substrate metal with cracks arising from coating defects (Fig1e-h). Some of these debonded fragments were embedded into the PVD layer in weight-bearing parts of all heads. In one head, which was subjected to dislocations we observed deposits of titanium alloy from the acetabular shell (Fig 2a,b). The deposits were accompanied by large patches of delaminated coating as well as multiple cracks (Fig 2c,d). Small fragments of the acetabular titanium alloy damaged the coating in third body mechanism. Surprisingly in three implants we EDS analysis revealed similar spheres (diam. 1–10 µm) containing Niobium (Nb), although this element is not a part of any of the components used in the implants(Fig 2e,f). Interestingly presence of Nb droplets were associated with a higher number of other defect in these heads both in weight-baring and non weight-bearing parts of the heads suggesting inferior coating quality in these cases (Fig 2 g,h; Fig3, cases H2,H5,H8). Conclusions. Compared to previous studies we did not observe severe wear or the coating, however we observed some degradation of the film in vivo. Our results indicate that dislocation can lead to severe failure of the coating in vivo. Moreover presence of Nb residues and coexisting defects in some implants suggests inferior coating quality in these implants and indicates the need for strict monitoring of the production process. This study was funded by a grant from the National Science Centre nr 2012/05/D/NZ5/01840

Revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a complex procedure which carries both a greater risk for patients and greater cost for the treating hospital than does a primary TKA. As well as the increased cost of peri-operative investigations, blood transfusions, surgical instrumentation, implants and operating time, there is a well-documented increased length of stay which accounts for most of the actual costs associated with surgery.

We compared revision surgery for infection with revision for other causes (pain, instability, aseptic loosening and fracture). Complete clinical, demographic and economic data were obtained for 168 consecutive revision TKAs performed at a tertiary referral centre between 2005 and 2012.

Revision surgery for infection was associated with a mean length of stay more than double that of aseptic cases (21.5 vs 9.5 days, p < 0.0001). The mean cost of a revision for infection was more than three times that of an aseptic revision (£30 011 (sd 4514) vs £9655 (sd 599.7), p < 0.0001).

Current NHS tariffs do not fully reimburse the increased costs of providing a revision knee surgery service. Moreover, especially as greater costs are incurred for infected cases. These losses may adversely affect the provision of revision surgery in the NHS.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:197–201.