The Unified Classification System (UCS) was introduced because of a growing need to have a standardised universal classification system of periprosthetic fractures. It combines and simplifies many existing classification systems, and can be applied to any fracture around any partial or total joint replacement occurring during or after operation. Our goal was to assess the inter- and intra-observer reliability of the UCS in association with knee replacement when classifying fractures affecting one or more of the femur, tibia or patella. We used an international panel of ten orthopaedic surgeons with subspecialty fellowship training and expertise in adult hip and knee reconstruction (‘experts’) and ten residents of orthopaedic surgery in the last two years of training (‘pre-experts’). They each received 15 radiographs for evaluation. After six weeks they evaluated the same radiographs again but in a different order. . The reliability was assessed using the Kappa and weighted Kappa values. The Kappa values for inter-observer reliability for the experts and the pre-experts were 0.741 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.707 to 0.774) and 0.765 (95% CI 0.733 to 0.797), respectively. The weighted Kappa values for intra-observer reliability for the experts and pre-experts were 0.898 (95% CI 0.846 to 0.950) and 0.878 (95% CI 0.815 to 0.942) respectively. The UCS has substantial inter-observer reliability and ‘near perfect’ intra-observer reliability when used for periprosthetic fractures in association with knee replacement in the hands of experienced and inexperienced users. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:1669–73

Aims. United Classification System (UCS) B2 and B3 periprosthetic fractures in total hip arthroplasties (THAs) have been commonly managed with modular tapered stems. No study has evaluated the use of monoblock fluted tapered titanium stems for this indication. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a monoblock stems on implant survivorship, postoperative outcomes, radiological outcomes, and osseointegration following treatment of THA UCS B2 and B3 periprosthetic fractures. Methods. A retrospective review was conducted of all patients who underwent revision THA (rTHA) for periprosthetic UCS B2 and B3 periprosthetic fracture who received a single design monoblock fluted tapered titanium stem at two large, tertiary care, academic hospitals. A total of 72 patients met inclusion and exclusion criteria (68 UCS B2, and four UCS B3 fractures). Primary outcomes of interest were radiological stem subsidence (> 5 mm), radiological osseointegration, and fracture union. Sub-analysis was also done for 46 patients with minimum one-year follow-up. Results. For the total cohort, stem osseointegration, fracture union, and stem subsidence were 98.6%, 98.6%, and 6.9%, respectively, at latest follow-up (mean follow-up 27.0 months (SD 22.4)). For patients with minimum one-year of follow-up, stem osseointegration, fracture union, and stem subsidence were 97.8%, 97.8%, and 6.5%, respectively. Conclusion. Monoblock fluted stems can be an acceptable modality for the management of UCS B2 periprosthetic fractures in rTHAs due to high rates of stem osseointegration and survival, and the low rates of stem subsidence, and revision. Further research on the use of this stem for UCS B3 periprosthetic fractures is warranted to determine if the same conclusion can be made for this fracture pattern. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(8):551–558

Aims. The aim of this study was to investigate the outcome of periprosthetic fractures of the humerus and to assess the uniformity of the classifications used for these fractures (including those around elbow and/or shoulder arthroplasties) by performing a systematic review of the literature. Methods. A systematic search was conducted using the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Healthcare Databases Advance Search. For inclusion, studies had to report clinical outcomes following the management of periprosthetic fractures of the humerus. The protocol was registered on the PROSPERO database. Results. Overall, 40 studies were included, involving a total of 210 patients. The fractures were reported using very heterogeneous classification systems, as were the functional outcome scores. A total of 60 patients had nonoperative treatment with a 50% rate of nonunion. Fixation was undertaken in 99 patients; successful union was obtained in 93 (93%). Revision of either the humeral stem or the whole arthroplasty was reported in 79 patients with a high rate of union (n = 66; 84%), and a mean rate of complications of 29% (0% to 41%). Conclusion. This study highlighted a lack of uniformity in classifying these fractures and reporting the outcome of their treatment. The results may help to inform decision-making with patients, particularly about the rate of complications of nonoperative treatment. There is a need to improve the reporting of the pattern of these fractures using a uniform classification system, and the harmonization of the collection of data relating to the outcome of treatment. Based on this review, we propose a minimum dataset to be used in future studies. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(4):416–423

Aims. Femoral periprosthetic fractures are rising in incidence. Their management is complex and carries a high associated mortality. Unlike native hip fractures, there are no guidelines advising on time to theatre in this group. We aim to determine whether delaying surgical intervention influences morbidity or mortality in femoral periprosthetic fractures. Methods. We identified all periprosthetic fractures around a hip or knee arthroplasty from our prospectively collated database between 2012 and 2021. Patients were categorized into early or delayed intervention based on time from admission to surgery (early = ≤ 36 hours, delayed > 36 hours). Patient demographics, existing implants, Unified Classification System fracture subtype, acute medical issues on admission, preoperative haemoglobin, blood transfusion requirement, and length of hospital stay were identified for all patients. Complication and mortality rates were compared between groups. Results. A total of 365 patients were identified: 140 in the early and 225 in the delayed intervention group. Mortality rate was 4.1% at 30 days and 19.2% at one year. There was some indication that those who had surgery within 36 hours had a higher mortality rate, but this did not reach statistical significance at 30 days (p = 0.078) or one year (p = 0.051). Univariate analysis demonstrated that age, preoperative haemoglobin, acute medical issue on admission, and the presence of postoperative complications influenced 30-day and one-year mortality. Using a multivariate model, age and preoperative haemoglobin were independently predictive factors for one-year mortality (odds ratio (OR) 1.071; p < 0.001 and OR 0.980; p = 0.020). There was no association between timing of surgery and postoperative complications. Postoperative complications were more likely with increasing age (OR 1.032; p = 0.001) and revision arthroplasty compared to internal fixation (OR 0.481; p = 0.001). Conclusion. While early intervention may be preferable to reduce prolonged immobilization, there is no evidence that delaying surgery beyond 36 hours increases mortality or complications in patients with a femoral periprosthetic fracture. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(6):452–456

Abstract. Objective. To compare the periprosthetic fracture mechanics between a collared and collarless fully coated cementless femoral stem in a composite femur. Methods. Two groups of six composite femurs (‘Osteoporotic femur’, SawBones, WA USA) were implanted with either a collared (collared group) or collarless (collarless group) cementless femoral stem which was otherwise identical by a single experienced surgeon. Periprosthetic fractures of the femur were simulated using a previously published technique. High speed video recording was used to identify fracture mechanism. Fracture torque and angular displacement were measured and rotational work and system stiffness were estimated for each trial. Results were compared between collared and collarless group and the comparison was evaluated against previously published work using fresh frozen femurs and the same protocol. Results. In composite femur testing median fracture torque (IQR) was greater with a collared versus collarless implant (48.41 [42.60 to 50.27] Nm versus 45.12 [39.13 to 48.09] Nm, p= 0.4). Median rotational displacement (IQR) was less with a collared versus collarless implant (0.29 [0.27 to 0.31] radians versus 0.33 [0.32 to 0.34] radians, p= 0.07). Estimated rotary work was similar between groups (5.76 [4.92 to 6.64] J versus 5.21 [4.25 to 6.04] J, p= 0.4). Torsional stiffness was greater with a collared versus collarless implant (158.36 [152.61, 163.54] Nm per radian versus 138.79 [122.53, 140.59] Nm per radian, p= 0.5). Collarless stems were seen to move independently of the femur and fracture patterns originated at the calcar. Conclusions. Testing with composite femurs using an established protocol produced similar results to previously published studies using human femurs, but the difference between collared and collarless stems was smaller. The internal homogenous foam material in composite femurs does not accurately represent the heterogeneous cancellous bone which supports a femoral stem in vivo and may lead to overestimation of implant stability. Declaration of Interest. (a) fully declare any financial or other potential conflict of interest

Aims. The aim of this study was to describe the demographic details of patients who sustain a femoral periprosthetic fracture (PPF), the epidemiology of PPFs, PPF characteristics, and the predictors of PPF types in the UK population. Methods. This is a multicentre retrospective cohort study including adult patients presenting to hospital with a new PPF between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018. Data collected included: patient characteristics, comorbidities, anticoagulant use, social circumstances, level of mobility, fracture characteristics, Unified Classification System (UCS) type, and details of the original implant. Descriptive analysis by fracture location was performed, and predictors of PPF type were assessed using mixed-effects logistic regression models. Results. In total, 720 femoral PPFs from 27 NHS sites were included. PPF patients were typically elderly (mean 79.9 years (SD 10.6)), female (n = 455; 63.2%), had at least one comorbidity (n = 670; 93.1%), and were reliant on walking aids or bed-/chair-bound prior to admission (n = 419; 61.7%). The study population included 539 (74.9%) hip PPFs, 151 (21.0%) knee PPFs, and 30 (4.2%) dividing type PPFs. For hip (n = 407; 75.5%) and knee (n = 88; 58.3%) arthroplasty UCS B type fractures were most common. Overall, 556 (86.2%) were treated in the presenting hospital and 89 (13.8%) required transfer for treatment. Female sex was the only significant predictor of fracture type (A/B1/C type versus B2/B3) for femoral hip PPFs (odds ratio 0.61 (95% confidence interval 0.41 to 0.91); p = 0.014). Sex, residence type, primary versus revision implant PPF, implant fixation, and time between arthroplasty and PPF were not found to predict fracture type for hip PPFs. Conclusion. This multicentre analysis describes patient and injury factors for patients presenting with femoral PPFs to centres across the UK. These patients are generally elderly and frail, comparable to those sustaining a hip fracture. These data can be useful in planning future services and clinical trials. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(8):987–996

Aims. The aim of this study was to describe the management and associated outcomes of patients sustaining a femoral hip periprosthetic fracture (PPF) in the UK population. Methods. This was a multicentre retrospective cohort study including adult patients who presented to 27 NHS hospitals with 539 new PPFs between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018. Data collected included: management strategy (operative and nonoperative), length of stay, discharge destination, and details of post-treatment outcomes (reoperation, readmission, and 30-day and 12-month mortality). Descriptive analysis by fracture type was performed, and predictors of PPF management and outcomes were assessed using mixed-effects logistic regression. Results. In all, 417 fractures (77%) were managed operatively and 122 (23%) conservatively. The median time to surgery was four days (interquartile range (IQR) 2 to 7). Of those undergoing surgery, 246 (59%) underwent revision and/or fixation and 169 (41%) fixation alone. The surgical strategy used differed by Unified Classification System for PPF type, with the highest rate of revision in B2/B3 fractures (both 77%, 176/228 and 24/31, respectively) and the highest rate of fixation alone in B1- (55/78; 71%) and C-type (49/65; 75%) fractures. Cemented stem fixation (odds ratio (OR) 2.66 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.42 to 4.99); p = 0.002) and B2/B3 fracture type (OR 7.56 (95% CI 4.14 to 13.78); p < 0.001) were predictors of operative management. The median length of stay was 15 days (IQR 9 to 23), 12-month reoperation rate was 5.6% (n = 30), and 30-day readmission rate was 8.4% (n = 45). The 30-day and 12-month mortality rates were 5.2% (n = 28) and 21.0% (n = 113). Nonoperative treatment, older age, male sex, admission from residential or nursing care, and sustaining the PPF around a revision prosthesis were significant predictors of an increased 12-month mortality. Conclusion. Femoral hip PPFs have mortality, reoperation, and readmission rates comparable with hip fracture patients. However, they have a longer wait for surgery, and surgical treatment is more complex. There is a need to create a national framework for data collection for this heterogeneous group of patients in order to understand the outcomes of different approaches to treatment. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(8):997–1008

Aims. Periprosthetic fractures (PPFs) around the knee are challenging injuries. This study aims to describe the characteristics of knee PPFs and the impact of patient demographics, fracture types, and management modalities on in-hospital mortality. Methods. Using a multicentre study design, independent of registry data, we included adult patients sustaining a PPF around a knee arthroplasty between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2019. Univariate, then multivariable, logistic regression analyses were performed to study the impact of patient, fracture, and treatment on mortality. Results. Out of a total of 1,667 patients in the PPF study database, 420 patients were included. The in-hospital mortality rate was 6.4%. Multivariable analyses suggested that American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, history of peripheral vascular disease (PVD), history of rheumatic disease, fracture around a loose implant, and cerebrovascular accident (CVA) during hospital stay were each independently associated with mortality. Each point increase in ASA grade independently correlated with a four-fold greater mortality risk (odds ratio (OR) 4.1 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19 to 14.06); p = 0.026). Patients with PVD have a nine-fold increase in mortality risk (OR 9.1 (95% CI 1.25 to 66.47); p = 0.030) and patients with rheumatic disease have a 6.8-fold increase in mortality risk (OR 6.8 (95% CI 1.32 to 34.68); p = 0.022). Patients with a fracture around a loose implant (Unified Classification System (UCS) B2) have a 20-fold increase in mortality, compared to UCS A1 (OR 20.9 (95% CI 1.61 to 271.38); p = 0.020). Mode of management was not a significant predictor of mortality. Patients managed with revision arthroplasty had a significantly longer length of stay (median 16 days; p = 0.029) and higher rates of return to theatre, compared to patients treated nonoperatively or with fixation. Conclusion. The mortality rate in PPFs around the knee is similar to that for native distal femur and neck of femur fragility fractures. Patients with certain modifiable risk factors should be optimized. A national PPF database and standardized management guidelines are currently required to understand these complex injuries and to improve patient outcomes. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(2):158–165

Aims. Periprosthetic fractures (PPFs) following hip arthroplasty are complex injuries. This study evaluates patient demographic characteristics, management, outcomes, and risk factors associated with PPF subtypes over a decade. Methods. Using a multicentre collaborative study design, independent of registry data, we identified adults from 29 centres with PPFs around the hip between January 2010 and December 2019. Radiographs were assessed for the Unified Classification System (UCS) grade. Patient and injury characteristics, management, and outcomes were compared between UCS grades. A multinomial logistic regression was performed to estimate relative risk ratios (RRR) of variables on UCS grade

Aims. The aim of this study was to identify modifiable risk factors associated with mortality in patients requiring revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) for periprosthetic hip fracture. Methods. The electronic records of consecutive patients undergoing revision THA for periprosthetic hip fracture between December 2011 and October 2018 were reviewed. The data which were collected included age, sex, body mass index (BMI), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, the preoperative serum level of haemoglobin, time to surgery, operating time, blood transfusion, length of hospital stay, and postoperative surgical and medical complications. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine independent modifiable factors associated with mortality at 90 days and one year postoperatively. Results. A total of 203 patients were identified. Their mean age was 78 years (44 to 100), and 108 (53%) were female. The median time to surgery was three days (interquartile range (IQR) 2 to 5). The mortality rate at one year was 13.8% (n = 28). The commonest surgical complication was dislocation (n = 22, 10.8%) and the commonest medical complication within 90 days of surgery was hospital-acquired pneumonia (n = 25, 12%). Multivariate analysis showed that the rate of mortality one year postoperatively was five-fold higher in patients who sustained a dislocation (odds ratio (OR) 5.03 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.60 to 15.83); p = 0.006). The rate of mortality was also four-fold higher in patients who developed hospital-acquired pneumonia within 90 days postoperatively (OR 4.43 (95% CI 1.55 to 12.67); p = 0.005). There was no evidence that the time to surgery was a risk factor for death at one year. Conclusion. Dislocation and hospital-acquired pneumonia following revision THA for a periprosthetic fracture are potentially modifiable risk factors for mortality. This study suggests that surgeons should consider increasing constraint to reduce the risk of dislocation, and the early involvement of a multidisciplinary team to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired pneumonia. We found no evidence that the time to surgery affected mortality, which may allow time for medical optimization, surgical planning, and resource allocation. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(5):580–585

Background. As the number of primary or revision TKA with stem extension cases are growing simultaneously, the number of periprosthetic fracture in these cases has also increased accordingly. However, there have been few reports on the classification and treatment of periprosthetic fracture following stemmed TKA and lack of information about the treatment outcome. The purposes of this study were 1) to demonstrate classification and management of periprosthetic fractures after stemmed TKA and 2) to report treatment outcome after the periprosthetic fractures. Materials and Methods. This retrospective study included 17 knees (15 patients) with an average age of 69.7 years. All cases were revision TKA cases, and there were 13 female and 2 male patients. The patients were treated nonoperatively or underwent operation by orthopedic principle. The period of union was evaluated by confirming the formation of callus crossing fragments in radiographs. We reviewed the complications and functional outcomes after treatment of periprosthetic fracture following revision TKA by assessing FF, FC and scoring WOMAC and KSS. Results. The classification of periprosthetic fractures of stemmed TKA was based on location of fracture and stability of implant. They were classified as follows: type I, metaphyseal fracture without loosening of implant [Fig. 1]; type II, diaphyseal fracture adjacent to stem without loosening of implant [Fig. 2]; type III, diaphyseal fracture away from stem without loosening of implant [Fig. 3]; and type IV, metaphyseal or diaphyseal fracture with loosening of implant [Fig. 4]. There were 1 case of type I, 9 cases of type II, 4 cases of type III and 3 cases of type IV fractures. The mean time for gaining radiographic union of type I was 3.3 month; type II was 4.4 month; type III was 4.6 month; and type IV was 3.9 month. Most of the metaphyseal fractures were comminuted and all cases of loosening of the femoral implant were found in the metaphyseal fractures. Nine periprosthetic fractures were fixed using locking plate (single locking plate : 4 cases, dual locking plate : 5 cases). The bone union period is much shorter in patients with dual plate fixation than single plate only. Range of motion, WOMAC and KSS were not significantly different between before fracture and after management of fracture. Complications included 1 metal failure, 2 loosening of implant and 1 postoperative infection. Conclusions. Metaphyseal fractures probably cause the collateral ligament insufficiency, and loosen the implant. Therefore, rotating hinge prosthesis should be used to stabilize the ligament of knee joint. Also, Revision TKA with longer stem should be considered if the stability of implant is not sure. When we underwent operation using plate fixation, dual plating provided better stability of fracture and shortened the union period than single plating. However, we need to approach individually depending on the patient, such as using cerclage wire, bone graft and so on. This study will help to establish appropriate treatment options according to each classification. For any figures or tables, please contact the authors directly

The incidence of periprosthetic fractures of the ankle is increasing. However, little is known about the outcome of treatment and their management remains controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of periprosthetic fractures on the functional and radiological outcome of patients with a total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). A total of 505 TAAs (488 patients) who underwent TAA were retrospectively evaluated for periprosthetic ankle fracture: these were then classified according to a recent classification which is orientated towards treatment. The outcome was evaluated clinically using the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score and a visual analogue scale for pain, and radiologically. . A total of 21 patients with a periprosthetic fracture of the ankle were identified. There were 13 women and eight men. The mean age of the patients was 63 years (48 to 74). Thus, the incidence of fracture was 4.17%. . There were 11 intra-operative and ten post-operative fractures, of which eight were stress fractures and two were traumatic. The prosthesis was stable in all patients. Five stress fractures were treated conservatively and the remaining three were treated operatively. . A total of 17 patients (81%) were examined clinically and radiologically at a mean follow-up of 53.5 months (12 to 112). The mean AOFAS score at follow-up was 79.5 (21 to 100). The mean AOFAS score in those with an intra-operative fracture was 87.6 (80 to 100) and for those with a stress fracture, which were mainly because of varus malpositioning, was 67.3 (21 to 93). Periprosthetic fractures of the ankle do not necessarily adversely affect the clinical outcome, provided that a treatment algorithm is implemented with the help of a new classification system. . Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:950–6

The Unified Classification System (UCS), or Vancouver system, is a validated and widely used classification system to guide the management of periprosthetic femoral fractures. It suggests that well-fixed stems (type B1) can be treated with fixation but that loose stems (types B2 and B3) should be revised. Determining whether a stem is loose can be difficult and some authors have questioned how to apply this classification system to polished taper slip stems which are, by definition, loose within their cement mantle. Recent evidence has challenged the common perception that revision surgery is preferable to fixation surgery for UCS-B periprosthetic fractures around cemented polished taper slip stems. Indications for fixation include an anatomically reducible fracture and cement mantle, a well-fixed femoral bone-cement interface, and a well-functioning acetabular component. However, not all type B fractures can or should be managed with fixation due to the risk of early failure. This annotation details specific fracture patterns that should not be managed with fixation alone. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(5):481–486

Periprosthetic femur fracture (PFF) is a major complication following total hip arthroplasty (THA) that carries significant morbidity, mortality, and economic burden. Currently, uncemented stems are highly preferred in primary THA, but have been associated with higher risk of PFF compared to cemented stems. The use of collared stems in uncemented primary THA has shown promise in reducing PFF rates postoperatively. This retrospective study included 2,294 uncemented primary THAs using the posterior approach performed by two attending surgeons from January 2016 to December 2022. Both surgeons switched from a collarless femoral stem design to a collared design in May 2020. Data was collected regarding stem design, frequency of PFF, and requirement for revision surgery. Periprosthetic fractures were identified and confirmed using medical records and/or radiographic imaging. Fracture rates and percentages between collared and collarless stems were then analyzed. A Fisher's Exact Test was performed to determine if there was a significant association between collared and collarless stem use on PFF rates. A total of 2,294 uncemented primary THAs performed by 2 surgeons were eligible for analysis. 903 (39.4%) patients received a collared stem, and 1,391 (60.6%) patients received a collarless stem. In total, 14 (0.6%) PFFs occurred over the study period. There was 1 fracture (0.1%) out of 903 collared stems, and 13 fractures (0.9%) out of 1,391 collarless stems (p = 0.012). Collared stems were associated with a significant decrease in PFF rate when compared to collarless stems in uncemented primary THA. Future studies are encouraged to continue to investigate PFF and other complication rates with the use of a collared stem design

We are currently facing an epidemic of periprosthetic fractures around the hip. They may occur either during surgery or post-operatively. Although the acetabulum may be involved, the femur is most commonly affected. We are being presented with new, difficult fracture patterns around cemented and cementless implants, and we face the challenge of an elderly population who may have grossly deficient bone and may struggle to rehabilitate after such injuries. The correct surgical management of these fractures is challenging. This article will review the current choices of implants and techniques available to deal with periprosthetic fractures of the femur. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B(11 Suppl A):48–55

Introduction: Management of periprosthetic fractures following total hip arthroplasty (THA) represents a difficult clinical problem, requiring expertise in both trauma and revision surgery. Estimates of the prevalence of postoperative fracture range from 0.1% to 2.1%, and with rising numbers of patients in the population living with hip prostheses in situ there is evidence that their frequency is increasing. There remains a paucity of data on the functional outcome of these injuries, and the objective of this study was to analyse outcomes for revision THA following periprosthetic fracture, and compare these to elective revision surgery. Methods: 233 patients (234 hips) undergoing revision THA for femoral fracture were identified from the New Zealand National Registry, and clinical outcomes were measured using Oxford Hip Scores (OHS) completed six months post operatively. A control group of 234 patients undergoing elective revision THA was selected and matched for age, sex, and time since index operation. Results: Comparative analysis of the registry patients showed clinical outcomes were significantly worse following revision THA for fractured femur than in controls (mean OHS 28.6 vs 23.6, p=0.006), though this difference was not apparent in patients under the age of 65 years (mean OHS 26.1 vs 23.8, p =0.6). A higher mortality rate was found among fracture patients (17.1% versus 10.7 %, p=0.05), and a statistically significant higher number of periprosthetic fracture patients died within 6 months of their surgery in comparison to controls (7.3% versus 0.9%, p=0.003). A higher rate of re-revision was observed in the fracture group (7.7% versus 2.6%, p=0.02). Conclusions: To our knowledge this study represents the largest comparative series of periprosthetic fractures in THA with functional outcome data yet reported. Management of patients with periprosthetic fractures requires recognition of the challenging nature of these injuries, their associated poor prognosis, and high complication rate

The Lubinus SP II is an anatomical femoral stem with high survivorship levels notably described in the Swedish Arthroplasty Register. As the clinical and economic burden of revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) and periprosthetic fracture (PPF) continues to increase, it has been suggested that use of anatomical stems may facilitate more uniform cement mantles and improve implant survival. The primary aim of this study was to determine the long-term survivorship and PPF rate of the Lubinus SP II 150mm stem in a single UK centre. Between January 2007 and April 2012, 1000 consecutive THAs were performed using the Lubinus SP II femoral stem in our institution. Patient demographics and operative details were collected in a prospective arthroplasty database. Patient records and national radiographic archives were then reviewed at a mean of 12.3 years (SD 1.3) following surgery to identify occurrence of subsequent revision surgery, dislocation or periprosthetic fracture. Mean patient age at surgery was 69.3 years (SD 10.1, 24–93 years). There were 634 women (63%). Osteoarthritis was the operative indication in 974 patients (97%). There were 13 revisions in total (4 for recurrent dislocation, 3 for infection, 6 for acetabular loosening) and 16 dislocations (1.6%). Stem survivorship at 10 years was 99.6% (95 % confidence interval [CI], 99.5%–99.7%) and at 15 years was 98.8% (98.7%–98.9%). The 15-year stem survival for aseptic loosening was 100%. Analysis of all cause THA failure demonstrated a survivorship of 99.1% (99.0%–99.3%) at 10 years and 98.2% (98.1%–98.3%) at 15 years. There were 4 periprosthetic fractures in total (0.4%) at mean 12.3 year follow-up. The Lubinus SP II stem demonstrated excellent survivorship, low dislocation rates and negligible PPF rates up to 15 years following primary THA. Use of anatomical stems such as the Lubinus SPII would appear to be a wise clinical and economic investment for patients and healthcare systems alike

Aims. 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. Methods. We reviewed 87 PPFs. Each was a first episode of fracture around a cemented femoral component, where surgical management consisted of revision surgery. Data regarding initial injury, intraoperative findings, and management were prospectively collected. Patient records and serial radiographs were reviewed to determine fracture classification, whether the bone cement was well fixed (B2W) or loose (B2L), and time to fracture union following treatment. Results. In total, 47 B2W fractures (54.0%) and one B3 fracture (1.1%) had cement that remained well-fixed at the cement-bone interface. These cases were treated with cement-in-cement (CinC) revision arthroplasty. Overall, 43 fractures with follow-up united, and two patients sustained further fractures secondary to nonunion and required further revision surgery. A total of 19 B2L fractures (21.8%) and 19 B3 fractures (21.8%) had cement that was loose at the cement-bone interface. These cases were managed by revision arthroplasty with either cemented or uncemented femoral components, or proximal femoral arthroplasty. One case could not be classified. Conclusion. We endorse a modification of the original Vancouver system to include a subclassification of B2 fractures around cemented femoral prostheses to include B2W (where cement is well-fixed to bone) and B2L (where the cement is loose). Fractures around taper-slip design stems are more likely to fracture in a B2W pattern compared to fractures around composite beam design stems which are more likely to fracture in a B2L pattern. B2W fractures can reliably be managed with CinC revision. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(1):71–78

Fractures around total knee arthroplasties pose a significant surgical challenge. Most can be managed with osteosynthesis and salvage of the replacement. The techniques of fixation of these fractures and revision surgery have evolved and so has the assessment of outcome. This specialty update summarises the current evidence for the classification, methods of fixation, revision surgery and outcomes of the management of periprosthetic fractures associated with total knee arthroplasty. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:1489–96

Background. Periprosthetic femoral fractures following total hip arthroplasty are relatively uncommon but are associated with significant morbidity. With an increasing number of total hip arthroplasties being carried out in an aging population we need to ensure correct implants are chosen for our patients. A recent review of NJR data suggested a significantly higher revision risk for the Zimmer CPT stems due to periprosthetic fractures when compared to the Stryker Exeter stems. Objectives. Our aim was to compare the biomechanics of periprosthetic fractures around the CPT and Exeter V40 stems in a composite saw bone model to identify if a difference in fracture risk exists between the two stems. We also compared the engineering design of the two implants in order to analyse the possible effect this may have on fracture risk. Study Design & Methods. Fourteen composite femurs were divided into two groups and cemented using Palacos R cement with either the CPT or Exeter V40 stem by a single surgeon. The implanted femurs were then mounted onto an Instron machine and were axially loaded and torqued to fracture with an axial compressive force of 2000N over 10 seconds followed by a rotation of 40 degrees applied over 1 second. A power calculation from a previous composite saw bone model study suggested that a minimum of 6 implanted femurs would be required in each group. Results. The implanted femurs invariably sustained fracture patterns similar to the Vancouver B2 periprosthetic fracture which are commonly seen in clinical practice. Implanted femurs with CPT stems suffered periprosthetic fractures with less rotation when compared to those femurs with the Exeter V40 stem (20.10 versus 33.60, p<0.01). We also found that CPT implanted femurs were fracturing at significantly lower torque values when compared to the Exeter V40 implanted femurs (124Nm Versus 174Nm, p<0.01). The energy release rate (G111) for CPT stems was 21.8Nm compared to 61.2Nm for Exeter V40 stems. The higher energy release with Exeter stems led to more comminuted fractures in Exeter implanted femurs when compared to the CPT femurs, which fractured earlier, but with simpler fracture patterns. Finite element method (FEM) simulation analysis showed that fractures initiated between the prosthesis and cement at the proximal end of the femur. Two dimensional sections at the same height showed a difference in bone-cement-implant geometrics at the critical point of failure suggesting that a design cause may be the reason for the higher risk of periprosthetic fractures in CPT implanted femurs. Conclusions. Our observations may explain the higher revision risk secondary to periprosthetic fractures that has been observed with the CPT stem when compared to the Exeter V40 stem

Introduction: The amount of tension which surgeons apply to a two-side Dall-Miles cable during the fixation of periprosthetic fracture has not been reported. Current study is the first report that reveals the real cable tension data which was intraoperatively measured. Methods: In vivo data of tightening torque was measured intraoperatively during Dall-Miles cable fixation surgeries for periprosthetic fracture of the femur. And the numerical relationship between torque and cable tension was assessed through mechanical tests. Using the torque vs. cable tension relationship, intraoperatively measured tightening torque was converted into a cable tension. Intraoperative measurement of tightening torque In vivo data of the maximal torque which was applied by an experienced surgeon was measured using a torquemeter. Total 11 cases of periprosthetic femoral fractures from 11 patients were participated with their agreement. A two-side Dall-Miles cable tightener (Stryker Co., USA) was used. To measure the torque of Dall-Miles tightener applied by a surgeon, a torquemeter (Torque driver 80FTD2-N-S, TOHNICHI, JAPAN) was connected to the Dall-Miles tightener through a square groove. The groove was machined with 1cm × 1cm × 1cm in dimension on the proximal end of the rotational shaft of the Dall-Miles tightener. Laboratory measurement of torque and tension To reveal the relationship between the torque of Dall-Miles cable tensioner and the tension of the cable, mechanical tests were done. A two-side Dall-Miles cable tightener were mounted to INSTRON (INSTRON, Norwood, MA, USA) using a customized fixation jig. One cable of 2 mm in diameter was connected to the upper head of INSTRON, and another to the lower headA preload was slowly applied to the cables up to 10 N so that the initially loose interaction among a tightener, two cables, and two loading heads of INSTRON became tight. Once the preloading finished, tightening torque and cable tension were simultaneously measured. The tightening torque was increased in increment of 1 N-m; accordingly, at each torque the tension hung to Dall-Miles cable was measured by reading loadcell data of INSTRON. Results: Intraoperative tightening torque Intraoperatively measured maximal torque applied to the Dall-Miles cable tensioner was 5.7±0.5 N-m. Numerical expression of torque-tension relationship Based on the data of tightening torque and cable tension measured from mechanical tests, the relationship between the torque (T) and tension (P) of Dall-Midles cable fixation system was numerically expressed. Total range of measured tightening torques and cable tensions was linearized. The linear expression was “T=106.8 × P”. Based on this numerical relationship, the amount of cable tension applied to the cable was calculated as 606.6±58 N. Discussion: This study revealed that 606.6±58 N of cable tension has been applied when an experienced surgeon does cable fixation of periprosthetic fracture. Authors believe that the torque-tension relationship will provide a key biomechanical clue for biomechanics scientists, and the amount of intraoperative cable tension measured at the time of Dall-Miles cable fixation for periprosthetic fracture will provide an important surgical key reference for the surgeons who use the cable fixation system

Mortality following revision hip surgery for periprosthetic fracture (PPF) has been reported to be as high as 60% at 5 years. The aim of this study was to determine the mortality rate for PPF revisions, compared to revision for aseptic loosening or infection at our tertiary referral centre. Revision arthroplasty procedures performed for PPF, aseptic loosening or infection between January 2014 and December 2015 at our institution were identified using a prospectively collected PPF referral database and locally collected NJR data. Comparisons were made between the 3 groups for baseline demographics, admission to higher-level care, length of stay, complications, and Kaplan-Meier failure (mortality) at 1 & 5 years post-operative (with log-rank test for equality). There were 37 PPF, 71 infected and 221 aseptic revisions. PPF had a higher proportion of females (65% vs. 39% in infection and 53% in aseptic; p = 0.031) and grade 3 and 4 ASA patients (p = 0.006). Median time to surgery from injury for PPF was 8 days (95% CI, 6–16). Single-stage procedures were performed in 84% of PPF, 42% of infection and 99% of aseptic revisions (p < 0.001). 19% of PPF revisions required HDU admission, 1% in the aseptic group and none in the infection group (p<0.001). Median length of stay was significantly different (PPF 10; infection 14; aseptic 8 days (p < 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of 1-year mortality were: PPF = 0%; infection = 2.8% (0.7–11.1%); aseptic = 0.9% (0.2–3.5%). 5-year mortality estimates were: PPF = 17.1% (8–34%), infection = 8.7% (4–18.3%), aseptic = 12% (8.4–17%). Log-rank test of equality was not significant, p=0.833. Despite the PPF group having an average delay to surgery of 8 days, higher ASA grades and more admissions to HDU there was no significant difference in mortality rates between the groups at 1 and 5 years postoperatively. Using a coherent MDT approach with dedicated healthcare professionals this service demonstrates a low post operative mortality rate which merits further investment and development

Aims. The aim of this study was to identify patient- and surgery-related risk factors for sustaining an early periprosthetic fracture following primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) performed using a double-tapered cementless femoral component (Bi-Metric femoral stem; Biomet Inc., Warsaw, Indiana). Patients and Methods. A total of 1598 consecutive hips, in 1441 patients receiving primary THA between January 2010 and June 2015, were retrospectively identified. Level of pre-operative osteoarthritis, femoral Dorr type and cortical index were recorded. Varus/valgus placement of the stem and canal fill ratio were recorded post-operatively. Periprosthetic fractures were identified and classified according to the Vancouver classification. Regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for early periprosthetic fracture. Results. The mean follow-up was 713 days (1 to 2058). A total of 48 periprosthetic fractures (3.0%) were identified during the follow-up and median time until fracture was 16 days, (interquartile range 10 to 31.5). Patients with femoral Dorr type C had a 5.2 times increased risk of post-operative periprosthetic fracture compared with type B, while female patients had a near significant two times increased risk over time for post-operative fracture. Conclusion. Dorr type C is an independent risk factor for early periprosthetic fracture, following THA using a double tapered cementless stem such as the Bi-Metric. Surgeons should take bone morphology into consideration when planning for primary THA and consider using cemented femoral components in female patients with poor bone quality. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:451–7

Periprosthetic fracture of the femur is an uncommon complication after total hip replacement, but appears to be increasing. We undertook a nationwide observational study to determine the risk factors for failure after treatment of these fractures, examining patient- and implant-related factors, the classification of the fractures and the outcome. Between 1979 and 2000, 1049 periprosthetic fractures of the femur were reported to the Swedish National Hip Arthroplasty Register. Of these, 245 had a further operation after failure of their initial management. Data were collected from the Register and hospital records. The material was analysed by the use of Poisson regression models. It was found that the risk of failure of treatment was reduced for Vancouver type B2 injuries (p = 0.0053) if revision of the implant was undertaken (p = 0.0033) or revision and open reduction and internal fixation (p = 0.0039) were performed. Fractures classified as Vancouver type B1 had a significantly higher risk of failure (p = 0.0001). The strongest negative factor was the use of a single plate for fixation (p = 0.001). The most common reasons for failure in this group were loosening of the femoral prosthesis, nonunion and re-fracture. It is probable that many fractures classified as Vancouver type B1 (n = 304), were in reality type B2 fractures with a loose stem which were not recognised. Plate fixation was inadequate in these cases. The difficulty in separating type B1 from type B2 fractures suggests that the prosthesis should be considered as loose until proven otherwise

Periprosthetic femoral fractures can occur as a complication of total hip arthroplasty and are often challenging to treat as the mechanical scenario is influenced by the presence of the metal prosthesis within the bone. This research focuses on finding the optimum fixation for transverse, Vancouver type B1 periprosthetic fractures, stabilised using locking plates and secured using screws. The aim of this study was to experimentally validate a computer model of a human femur, develop that model to represent a periprosthetic femoral fracture fixation and show how the model could be used to indicate differences between plating techniques. In the first development stage, both a laboratory model and a finite element model were developed to evaluate the mechanical behaviour of an intact composite femur under axial loading. Axial strains were recorded along the medial length of the femur in both cases and compared to provide validation for the computational model predications. The computational intact femur model was then modified to include a cemented total hip replacement, and further adapted to include a periprosthetic fracture stabilised using a locking plate, with unicortical screws above, and bicortical screws below the transverse fracture. For the intact femur case, the experimental and computational strain patterns correlated well with an average difference of 16%. Following the inclusion of the stem, there was a reduction in the strain in the region of the prosthesis reducing by an average of 45%. There was also a large increase in bulk stiffness with the introduction of the prosthesis. When the fracture and plate fixation were included, there was little difference in the proximal strain where the stem dominated, and the strains in the distal region were found to be highly sensitive to the distribution of the screws. The results of this study indicate that screw configuration is an important factor in periprosthetic fracture fixation. A laboratory model of the periprosthetic facture case is now under development to further validate the computational models and the two approaches will then be used to determine optimum fixation methods for a range of clinical scenarios

Introduction and Aims: Periprosthetic fracture is a serious complication of increasing incidence in joint replacement. Our aim was to evaluate periprosthetic fracture patterns in our series of 1152 primary hip arthroplasties using a cementless proximally hydroxyapatie coated anatomic stem and to identify risk factors from parameters measured in our assessment of these patients. Method: All patients with periprosthetic fracture following primary total hip arthroplasty using the Anatomique Benoist Girard I (ABG I) hip system were identified. Parameters studied included time of fracture after surgery, patient age and fracture classification. The pre-operative cortical index in the fracture group was measured and compared with a group matched for age, gender, diagnosis, and body mass index. 1152 ABG I primary hip arthroplasties were performed in 1037 patients from 1991–1997. Osteoarthritis was diagnosed in 93% of cases. The average age was 65 years; there were 536 females and 501 males. Mean follow-up was 79.6 months. Results: Thirty-two patients, 16 male and 16 female, suffered a periprosthetic fracture. Thirty-one patients were treated for osteoarthritis and one for a femoral neck fracture. We retrieved complete records on 28 patients. The average age of the fracture group was 73 years, compared to 65 years for the whole series (p< 0.0001). The incidence of periprosthetic fracture increased with age. The relative risk for patients over 70 years for peri-prosthetic fracture is 4.7 greater (95% CI 2.14–10.21). Distinct fractures patterns were related to time from initial surgery. Four fractures occurred within three months of surgery; these early fractures exhibited a particular pattern. The remaining 24 occurred between four and 114 months after surgery. These late fractures exhibited a different but consistent fracture pattern. Two fractures in the early group were identified immediately post-operatively. All others presented after minor low energy trauma. The mean cortical index in the fracture group was 47% and in the matched group 51%. If the pre-operative cortical index is below 50%, the risk of periprosthetic fracture is 4.75 greater (odds ratio 4.75 CI 1.5–15.00). All fractures were adequately classified and managed by guidelines in the Vancouver classification. Conclusion: This study identified distinct fracture patterns related to time from surgery. Cortical index and age have predictive value in pre-operative assessment of fracture risk: cortical index below 50 and age above 70 are risk factors for periprosthetic fracture and should be considered with other parameters to minimise risk of this complication

PURPOSE OF STUDY. Periprosthetic fractures after total knee arthroplasty is a potentially serious and challenging complication and the incidence is continuously rising. The purpose of this study was to analyse the prevalence and analyse effectiveness of the various treatment methods for management of periprosthetic fracture of the distal femur after total knee arthroplasty, and to determine the clinical and radiographic results of patients following surgical treatment of these injuries. METHODS. We reviewed all patients with periprosthetic fractures after total knee arthroplasty treated surgically between 2003 and 2008 from the prospective hospital database. Medical and radiographic records were reviewed for patient characteristics, fracture characteristics, implant details, healing, and complications. Antero-posterior and lateral radiographs were reviewed at the time of admission, post-operatively and at follow up visits. Fractures were classified according to the Lewis and Rorabeck, Orthopaedic Trauma Association and the methods of Su and DeWal. RESULTS. 26 patients (average age= 77.6) had operative management for displaced fractures. Mechanical fall was the commonest mode of injury at a mean of 4.66 years post primary replacement. Locking plates was the commonest method of fixation for stable implant and displaced fractures [Lewis & Rorabeck type 2] and 2 patients had distal femoral replacements for unstable implants. Successful fracture healing within 6 months occurred in all but one patient. Full weight bearing mobilisation was achieved at 3 months in 94% and patients with distal femoral replacements achieved quickest recovery. CONCLUSIONS. Compared to the current literature, we had a satisfactory outcome in following individualised treatment of periprosthetic fractures after knee joint replacement. Periprosthetic femoral fractures around the knee commonly constitute a challenging problem and require an adequate analysis of fracture etiology and distal femoral replacement achieves satisfactory results in fractures with unstable implants

Aims. The aim of this large registry-based study was to compare mid-term survival rates of cemented femoral stems of different designs used in hemiarthroplasty for a fracture of the femoral neck. Patients and Methods. From the Norwegian Hip Fracture Register (NHFR), 20 532 primary cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasties, which were undertaken in patients aged > 70 years with a femoral neck fracture between 2005 and 2016, were included. Polished tapered stems (n = 12 065) (Exeter and CPT), straight stems (n = 5545) (Charnley, Charnley Modular, and Spectron EF), and anatomical stems (n = 2922) (Lubinus SP2) were included. The survival of the implant with any reoperation as the endpoint was calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method and hazard ratios (HRs), and the different indications for reoperation were calculated using Cox regression analysis. Results. The one-year survival was 96.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) 95.6 to 96.4) for the Exeter stem, 97.0% (95% CI 96.4 to 97.6) for the Lubinus SP2 stem, 97.6% (95% CI 97.0 to 98.2) for the Charnley stem, 98.1% (95% CI 97.3 to 98.9) for the Spectron EF stem, and 96.4% (95% CI 95.6 to 97.2) for the Charnley Modular stem, respectively. The hazard ratio for reoperation after one year was lower for Lubinus SP2 (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.97), Charnley (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.86), and Spectron EF stems (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.67) compared with the Exeter stem. Reoperation for periprosthetic fracture occurred almost exclusively after the use of polished tapered stems. Conclusion. We were able to confirm that implant survival after cemented hemiarthroplasty for a hip fracture is high. Differences in rates of reoperation seem to favour anatomical and straight stems compared with polished tapered stems, which had a higher risk of periprosthetic fracture

Purpose of the study: Few data are available concerning the proper management of patients with a periprosthetic fracture of the hip who presents biological signs of inflammation (increased WBC, sedimentation rate, or C-reactive protein). The purpose of this work was to determine the prevalence of elevated biological markers in this type of patient and to determine the reliability of such markers for the diagnosis of periprosthetic infection. Material and methods: A periprosthetic hip fracture was diagnosed in 204 patients from 2000 to 2006. The WBC count, the sedimentation rate and the serum CRP level were noted at admission to the emergency ward. The diagnosis of infection was confirmed by at least two positive bacteriological samples of tissue biopsy and/or joint fluid collected at surgery. A statistical analysis was conducted to determine the prevalence of elevated biological markers of inflammation, the sensitivity, their specificity and their positive predictive value for deep infection. Results: Twenty-one patients (11.6%) developed a periprosthetic infection. Among the 204 patients, the WBC count increased in 16.2%, sedimentation rate in 33.3% and CRP in 50.5%. The sensitivity was 24% (WBC), 50% (sedimentation rate) and 83% (CRP). The specificity was 85% (WBC), 69% (sedimentation rate) and 56% (CRP). The positive predictive value was low (18, 21 and 29% respectively). Discussion: Markers of inflammation are frequently ordered before surgery to search for infection but can be elevated for various reasons. Most often, these markers are elevated because of the patient’s general status and are thus related to other co-morbid conditions and/or reaction to the new fracture. In this population, the WBC count did not contribute to the diagnosis of infection as only 24% of the infected patients had a high count. CRP and sedimentation rate and the WBC count had low positive predictive values. Conclusion: This study shows that an isolated elevation of biological markers of inflammation in a patient with a periprosthetic fracture is not a good indicator of infection

Periprosthetic fractures present an increasing workload as more hip arthroplasties are performed. They are often challenging to treat due to poor bone stock and patient frailty. We compare the early clinical and radiological results in 2 centres of 24 consecutive periprosthetic hip fractures in 24 patients, using a cannulated interlocked long stemmed titanium alloy femoral component with or without a hydroxyapatite (HA) coating (Cannulok revision prosthesis). The mean age at the time of operation was 79 years (range 65 to 92.4 years). The average length of follow up was 1.17 years (range 3 months to 5.3 years). All patients receiving a Cannulok revision stem with a minimum follow up of 3 months were included regardless of their primary aetiology and number of previous surgical procedures. Patients were reviewed and scored using the Merle d’Aubigne and Postal Score, Harris Hip Score and the WOMAC index at latest review. Periprosthetic fractures were classified using the Vancouver classification. At latest radiological review we measured subsidence, new bone formation (including presence of callus), osteolysis and radiolucent lines in all areas of the stem. Of the 24 fractures, 22 healed. In the 14 who had HA coated implants there was a 50% increase in bone. In the non-HA coated stems there was a 36% increase in bone radiologically. The mean Harris hip score was 74 at the latest post-operative review. The mean WOMAC and MDP scores were 48.7 and 7.7 respectively. The mean pain visual analogue score was 1.6 overall and 0 specifically for mid-thigh pain. We present encouraging early clinical and radiological results of the Cannulok stem system for treatment of complex periprosthetic fractures. This implant provides early fracture stability and subsequent biological bonding with an improvement in bone mass

We present a case of multifocal infection involving the left total hip replacement and the right total knee replacement of a patient, further complicated by an infected non-union of a periprosthetic fracture of the right knee. This required the unique simultaneous management of both infection eradication and fracture stabilization in the knee. Both sites were treated with a 2-stage procedure, including the novel use of a stemmed articulating spacer for the right knee. This spacer was made combining a retrograde humeral nail, coated with antibiotic-impregnated cement, and a pre-formed articulating cement spacer. The patient was able to weight-bear on this spacer. The fracture went on to unite, and a second stage was performed with the use of stemmed prosthesis and augments. She remains infection free 2 years after the second stage operation. The use of a stemmed articulating knee spacer can facilitate infection eradication and fracture stabilization while preserving some motion and weight-bearing ability in the 2 stage management of an infected periprosthetic fracture of the knee

Aim. Periprosthetic fractures are usually observed in patients aged over 65 years. The incidence of postoperative periprosthetic femur and tibia fractures is rising with increasing number of hip and knee joint replacements and the increasing life expectancy. The aetiology of periprosthetic fractures is multifactorial. Minimal trauma is causal for the fracture in most cases. Other risk factors are: generalized osteoporosis, loosening of the prosthesis and revision arthroplasty. Our aim is restoration of the patient's pre-fracture functional status. Method. Between 2004 and 2009 in the Asklepios Orthopedic Clinic Hohwald 118 patients (82 women, 36 men) were operated because of periprosthetic fractures. Mean patient age at surgery was 71 years (range 60-87). The right treatment depends on the location of the fracture and the stability of the implant. Very important is also the quality of bone and the patient's general state of health. Results. A successful surgical treatment requires a careful preoperative planning. The type of the fracture with or without prostheses instability and with or without bone defect all have influence on the type of patients surgery. Two patients died within one year. There were 2 cases of infection and cases of 5 late healing. Fixation with different plates was used for 67 fractures, at intact and undamaged endoprosthesis was used usually osteosynthesis with “Less Invasive Stabilisation System” plate (LISS, NCB). It combines high primary stability with the biological advantages of a slide-insertion plate osteosynthesis. Retrograde nailing was possible in 5 patients and 8 further with screws and cerclage wiring. In 38 cases we changed the endoprosthesis partially or completely. We reconstructed prosthetic damage or periprosthetic fractures with bone defect using modular prostheses. This system allows a large number of additional components and their combination with cone blocks for reconstruction of severe bone defects. Conclusion. Periprosthetic fractures have such a range of clinical presentations that they need to be managed on individual basis. The best functional results for stable implants gived internal fixation with a plate. Alternative osteosynthetic techniques and additive minimal osteosynthesis can work better in special cases. Modular prostheses for bone replacement are a method of choice for fractures with extensive bone loss. Nonoperative treatment should only be performed in exceptional cases. Periprosthetic fractures are serious complications because of the mortality and the difficulty in achieving functional recovery after treatment. Our primary aim is remobilization as early as possible-that is the best prevention of secondary complications

Post-operative periprosthetic fracture of the femur (POPFF) is a growing problem associated with increased mortality. Most registry derived estimates of mortality only record patients who undergo revision and cohort studies are generally limited to a single center, which makes comparison for the purposes of service improvement difficult. The aim of this study is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies reporting mortality following POPFF in the last decade. Study methodology was peer-reviewed (PROSPERO: CRD42020170819). Literature search was conducted using Medline and EMBASE. Primary exposure was the diagnosis of POPFF, and the primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality: whilst an inpatient, within 30-days, within 90-days and within one year of POPFF. Proportion of patients dying (95% CI [confidence interval]) was estimated using metaregression. Results were compared to mortality following neck of femur fracture (NOF) from international NOF registry data. 4841 patients from 35 cohort studies were included. Study quality was generally low with a majority limited to a single centre. Weighted mean follow-up was 2.3 years and the most common POPFF was UCS B. Pooled proportion dying as an inpatient was 2.4% (95% CI 1.6% to 3.4%). Pooled proportion dying within 30 days was 3.3% (95% CI 2.0% to 5.0%). Pooled proportion dying within 90 days was 4.8% (95% CI 3.6% to 6.1%). Pooled proportion dying within one year was 13.4% (95% CI 11.9% to 14.8%). Mortality following POPFF was similar to that of NOF up to 30 days, but better at one year. 3.3% of patients die following POPFF within 30 days of injury. Mortality is similar to that experienced by patients following NOF up to 30 days, but better at one year, which may represent the lower underlying risk of death in the POPFF cohort. These results may form the basis for evaluation of services treating POPFF in the future

Aims. Periprosthetic fracture (PF) after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) is an uncommon but potentially devastating complication. This study aims to investigate the influence of cemented stem designs on the risk of needing a revision for a PF. Patients and Methods. We analysed data on 257 202 primary THAs with cemented stems and 390 linked first revisions for PF recorded in the National Joint Registry (NJR) of England, Wales and Northern Ireland to determine if a cemented femoral stem brand was associated with the risk of having revision for a PF after primary THA. All cemented femoral stem brands with more than 10 000 primary operations recorded in the NJR were identified. The four most commonly used cemented femoral stems were the Exeter V40 (n = 146 409), CPT (n = 24 300), C-Stem (n = 15 113) and Charnley (n = 20 182). We compared the revision risk ratios due to PF amongst the stems using a Poisson regression model adjusting for patient factors. Compared with the Exeter V40, the age, gender and ASA grade adjusted revision rate ratio was 3.89 for the cemented CPT stem (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.07 to 4.93), 0.89 for the C-Stem (95% CI 0.57 to 1.41) and 0.41 for the Charnley stem (95% CI 0.24 to 0.70). Conclusions. The limitations of the study include incomplete data capture, analysis of only PF requiring revision and that observation does not imply causality. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates that the choice of a cemented stem may influence the risk of revision for PF. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:1347–54

The use of plate-and-cable constructs to treat periprosthetic fractures around a well-fixed femoral component in total hip replacements has been reported to have high rates of failure. Our aim was to evaluate the results of a surgical treatment algorithm to use these lateral constructs reliably in Vancouver type-B1 and type-C fractures. The joint was dislocated and the stability of the femoral component was meticulously evaluated in 45 type-B1 fractures. This led to the identification of nine (20%) unstable components. The fracture was considered to be suitable for single plate-and-cable fixation by a direct reduction technique if the integrity of the medial cortex could be restored. Union was achieved in 29 of 30 fractures (97%) at a mean of 6.4 months (3 to 30) in 29 type-B1 and five type-C fractures. Three patients developed an infection and one construct failed. Using this algorithm plate-and-cable constructs can be used safely, but indirect reduction with minimal soft-tissue damage could lead to shorter times to union and lower rates of complications

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine both the incidence of, and the reoperation rate for, postoperative periprosthetic femoral fracture (POPFF) after total hip arthroplasty (THA) with either a collared cementless (CC) femoral component or a cemented polished taper-slip (PTS) femoral component.

Periprosthetic fracture of the femur after hip arthroplasty is a difficult problem. Management depends on different clinical factors and these are fractures are managed at District General Hospitals. Present series is of fifty such fractures presenting between 1999 and 2004 in two District General Hospitals in England. Number of female patients were more than males and majority of patients sustained these injuries after trivial fall. Outcome of management are analysed according to modified ‘Tower and Beals’ criteria (1999). Eleven patients lost to follow-up, twelve patients died (mortality was twenty-four percent) during follow-up. Twenty-one patients progressed to clinical and radiological union at an average of eight and eleven months respectively. Six patients are under follow-up. Although several results are published in literature but the present result is comparable to the most literatures. If certain principles are followed comparable results can be obtained in District General Hospitals by Surgeons with a special interest in the management of these fractures

Introduction: The JRI Furlong HAC LOL hemiarthroplasty stem has shown increased periprosthetic fracture rates compared to previous literature(15.2% vs 7.4%). This study will seek to identify a measurable radiographic index, the Metaphyseal-Diaphyseal Index (MDI) score to determine whether intra-operative fracture in osteoporotic bone can be predicted to influence the type of prosthesis used (cemented or uncemented). Methodology: Over 5 years prospectively, a cohort of 560 consecutive patients undergoing hemiarthroplasty (cemented and uncemented) were evaluated. Clinical outcomes and radiographic analysis was performed. The Vancouver Classification was used to classify peri-prosthetic fracture. The MDI score was calculated using radiographs from the uncemented group. As a control (gold standard), Yeung et al’s CBR score was also calculated. From this, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was formulated for both scores and area under the curve (AUC) compared. Intra and inter-observer correlations were determined. Cost analysis was also worked out for adverse outcomes. Results: 407 uncemented and 153 cemented stems were implanted. 62 periprosthetic fractures occurred in the uncemented group (15.2%), 9 occurred in the cemented group (5.9%), p< 0.001. The revision rate for sustaining a periprosthetic fracture (uncemented group) was 17.7%, p< 0.001. MDI’s AUC was 0.985 compared to CBR’s 0.948, p< 0.001. The MDI score cut-off to predict fracture was 21, sensitivity 98.3%, specificity 99.8%, positive predictive value 90.5% and negative predictive value 98%. ANCOVA analysis ruled out any other confounding factors as being significant. The intra and inter-observer Pearson correlation scores were r=0.99, p< 0.001. The total extra cost due to the intra-operative fractures was ú40,140. Discussion: The MDI score has been shown to be a potentially useful, cost effective way of preventing this serious complication from occurring. We recommend that any femur scoring 21 or less on the MDI score be considered for cemented hemiarthroplasty. Level of evidence: Level 2 Diagnostic Study: Investigating a diagnostic test against gold standard

Aims

Periprosthetic femoral fracture (PPF) is a major complication following total hip arthroplasty (THA). Uncemented femoral components are widely preferred in primary THA, but are associated with higher PPF risk than cemented components. Collared components have reduced PPF rates following uncemented primary THA compared to collarless components, while maintaining similar prosthetic designs. The purpose of this study was to analyze PPF rate between collarless and collared component designs in a consecutive cohort of posterior approach THAs performed by two high-volume surgeons.

Dual mobility (DM) is most often used by surgeons to reduce instability in high risk patients. NJR data on DM has not demonstrated a reduction in all cause revision and has reported an increase in revision for peri-prosthetic fracture (PPF). The aim of our study was:

Prospective F/U of a DM implant since 2016 and enrolled into Beyond Compliance (BC). Primary outcome measure all-cause revision with secondary outcome including any re-operation and Oxford Hip Score (OHS). All patients were risk stratified and considered high risk for instability. Complications were identified via hospital records, clinical coding linkage, NJR and BC. Benchmarking data for comparison was obtained from same data sources we also considered all B type PPF that occurred with cemented polished taper stem (PTS).

159 implants in 154 patients with a mean age 74.0 years and a maximum F/U of 6.7 years. Survivorship for all-cause revision 99.4% (95% CI 96.2–99.8). One femoral only revision. Mean gain in OHS 27.4. Dislocation rate 0.6% with a single event. Patients with a PTS rate of Type B PPF 2.1% requiring revision/fixation. Compared to cTHA this cohort was significantly older (74.0 vs 68.3 years), more co-morbidity (ASA 3 46.5% vs 14.4%) and more non-OA indications (32.4% vs 8.5%). Relative risks for dislocation 0.57 (95%CI 0.08–4.1) and PPF 1.75 (95%CI 0.54–5.72). Every patient had at least one risk factor for falling and >50% of cohort had 4 or more risk factors using NICE tool.

The selective use of DM in high-risk patients can reduce the burden of instability. These individuals are very different to the “average” THA patient. A “perfect storm” is created using a high-risk implant combination (DM & PTS) in high-risk falls risk population. This re-enforces the need to consider all patient and implant factors when deciding bearing selection.

Polished taper-slip (PTS) cemented stems have an excellent clinical track record and are the most common stem type used in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) in the UK. Due to low rates of aseptic loosening, they have largely replaced more traditional composite beam (CB) cemented stems. However, there is now emerging evidence from multiple joint registries that PTS stems are associated with higher rates of postoperative periprosthetic femoral fracture (PFF) compared to their CB stem counterparts. The risk of both intraoperative and postoperative PFF remains greater with uncemented stems compared to either of these cemented stem subtypes. PFF continues to be a devastating complication following primary THA and is associated with high complication and mortality rates. Recent efforts have focused on identifying implant-related risk factors for PFF in order to guide preventative strategies, and therefore the purpose of this article is to present the current evidence on the effect of cemented femoral stem design on the risk of PFF.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(1):11–15.

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine whether fixation, as opposed to revision arthroplasty, can be safely used to treat reducible Vancouver B type fractures in association with a cemented collarless polished tapered femoral stem (the Exeter).

Purpose: Periprosthetic fractures around hip prostheses are difficult problems because these fractures range from the very simple (requiring no surgical intervention) to the complex (requiring major surgery). This paper evaluates the primary stability and restoration of femoral bone stock following treatment of Vancouver type B-2 periprosthetic fracture of the femur using an extensively hydroxy-apatite coated revision stem implant. Methods: We have prospectively reviewed 9 cases with B-2 periprosthetic fracture operated at our centre between 1996 to 2001. Of the nine patients, 4 were male and 5 female. The mean age was 76.7 years (50-92). All patients were treated by femoral revision using an extensively hydroxy-apatite coated titanium revision femoral stem (Restoration HA, Stryker, Rutherford, NJ). Fixation was augmented with a combination of cerclage cables and onlay cortical strut allografts. Results: There has been no loss to follow-up. 1 patient died, but at most recent follow-up the fracture had united with radiological evidence of bone on-growth to the stem. Mean follow up in the rest of the cohort was 3.3 years. There was radiological evidence of fracture union in all patients. Mean subsidence of the stem was 0.22mm. At most recent follow-up the mean Harris Hip Score had improved to 77.2 (63-93). Favourable bone remodelling was observed in all patients with no evidence of stress shielding so far. At most recent follow-up there have been no cases of mechanical failure, deep infection or dislocations. No patient is awaiting further revision. Conclusion and Significance: Te Restoration HA stem has produced excellent clinical results in our study. We have observed no intra operative fracture and low postoperative complication rate. We are extremely encouraged by the observed femoral remodelling. There has been no case of mechanical failure as yet and there is no reason to expect, once union and on-growth have occurred, that loosening will be a problem. In treating this challenging and increasingly common complication of total hip replacement, femoral revision using an extensively HA coated revision femoral component offers a reliable method of femoral fixation leading to successful fracture healing and early return to function

There are many management solutions for the fixation of Periprosthetic fractures with intact stem of Hip and shoulder arthroplasties. The Bio Mechanics of single plate application are unlikely to be strong enough to commence mobilisation and its effectiveness against torsional strain with an osteoporotic bone quality is of concern. Double plate fixation as discussed at the last South African Orthopaedic Congress by Mr Floyd et al is another option but this again may have some biomechanical concerns and biological compromise at the fracture site due to periosteal stripping. Implant revision with a longer stem is a bigger surgical insult to a potentially frail group of patients with questionable bone quality. We report a short series of 16 peri-prosthetic fractures with intact stem that are managed with Zimmer cable plate fixation System. The results were very satisfactory and we consider this an attractive option to be considered in the management of this difficult presentation. This is a retrospective study. We present the results of 13 Periprosthetic Femoral Shaft fractures and 3 humeral periprosthetic fractures in 16 patients treated with cable plate fixation system. Majority of the patients were over 60 years with an ASA rating of 3–4. The procedures were performed in a district general hospital in the UK between August 2001 to December 2005. The patients presented with in 1–20 years following initial Arthroplasty. All the fractures were fixed with Zimmer cable plate fixation system. An 8 hole plate was most commonly used for femoral fractures through the lateral approach for TYPE 2 fractures. The proximal end of the plate was secured with 3–4 cable ties. Early partial weight bearing was encouraged. The majority of the patients were discharged within 12 weeks. Of the 3 humeral fractures union was achieved at 12 weeks in 2. There was 1 case of implant failure due to a further fracture noted in a manic depressive patient, who was not compliant. All proximal femoral fractures showed evidence of clinical and radiological union by 6 months. The majority (7/13) had united within 20 weeks. There were no complications noted. We recommend this effective method should seriously be considered in the management of this difficult and increasingly occurring complication in a frail population

Early failure of metal-on-metal (MoM) total hip replacements (THR) is now well established. We review 93 consecutive patients with CPT¯ stems MoM THR. Our series demonstrates a new mechanism of failure, which may be implant combination specific. Between January 2005 and June 2009, 93 consecutive MoM total hip replacements were preformed using CPT stems by 3 surgeons at our unit. 73 CPT¯ stems, Metasul¯ Large Diameter Heads (LDH) with Durom¯ acetabulae and 20 CPT¯ stems, Metasul¯ 28mm diameter heads in Allofit¯ shells (zimmer). Clinical outcomes were collected prospectively before surgery, at 3 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, and at 5 years post surgery. Revision for any cause was taken as the primary endpoint and the roentgenograms and explanted prostheses were analyzed for failure patterns. In the LDH/Durom¯ group a total of 13 (18%) patients required revision (figs. 1) at a median of 35 months (range 6-44). 6 (8%) for periprosthetic fracture. All 6 periprostethic fractures were associated with minimal or no trauma and all had ALVAL identified histologically. To date there have been no failures in the CPT¯/28mm head Allofit¯ group. Several failures demonstrated bone loss in Gruen zones 8 ± 9 ± 10 (fig. 2). We demonstrate an unacceptably high rate of failure in CPT¯ MoM LDH hip replacements, with a high failure secondary to periprosthetic fracture and postulate a mechanism associated with local toxicity to metal ions. We strongly advise against this combination of prosthesis

Periprosthetic fractures are an increasingly common complication following joint replacement. The principles which underpin their evaluation and treatment are common across the musculoskeletal system. The Unified Classification System proposes a rational approach to treatment, regardless of the bone that is broken or the joint involved. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:713–16

Aims

Revision total hip arthroplasty in patients with Vancouver type B3 fractures with Paprosky type IIIA, IIIB, and IV femoral defects are difficult to treat. One option for Paprovsky type IIIB and IV defects involves modular cementless, tapered, revision femoral components in conjunction with distal interlocking screws. The aim of this study was to analyze the rate of reoperations and complications and union of the fracture, subsidence of the stem, mortality, and the clinical outcomes in these patients.

Aims. Osseointegrated prosthetic limbs allow better mobility than socket-mounted prosthetics for lower limb amputees. Fractures, however, can occur in the residual limb, but they have rarely been reported. Approximately 2% to 3% of amputees with socket-mounted prostheses may fracture within five years. This is the first study which directly addresses the risks and management of periprosthetic osseointegration fractures in amputees. Methods. A retrospective review identified 518 osseointegration procedures which were undertaken in 458 patients between 2010 and 2018 for whom complete medical records were available. Potential risk factors including time since amputation, age at osseointegration, bone density, weight, uni/bilateral implantation and sex were evaluated with multiple logistic regression. The mechanism of injury, technique and implant that was used for fixation of the fracture, pre-osseointegration and post fracture mobility (assessed using the K-level) and the time that the prosthesis was worn for in hours/day were also assessed. Results. There were 22 periprosthetic fractures; they occurred exclusively in the femur: two in the femoral neck, 14 intertrochanteric and six subtrochanteric, representing 4.2% of 518 osseointegration operations and 6.3% of 347 femoral implants. The vast majority (19/22, 86.4%) occurred within 2 cm of the proximal tip of the implant and after a fall. No fractures occurred spontaneously. Fixation most commonly involved dynamic hip screws (10) and reconstruction plates (9). No osseointegration implants required removal, the K-level was not reduced after fixation of the fracture in any patient, and all retained a K-level of ≥ 2. All fractures united, 21 out of 22 patients (95.5%) wear their osseointegration-mounted prosthetic limb longer daily than when using a socket, with 18 out of 22 (81.8%) reporting using it for ≥ 16 hours daily. Regression analysis identified a 3.89-fold increased risk of fracture for females (p = 0.007) and a 1.02-fold increased risk of fracture per kg above a mean of 80.4 kg (p = 0.046). No increased risk was identified for bilateral implants (p = 0.083), time from amputation to osseointegration (p = 0.974), age at osseointegration (p = 0.331), or bone density (g/cm2, p = 0.560; T-score, p = 0.247; Z-score, p = 0.312). Conclusion. The risks and sequelae of periprosthetic fracture after press-fit osseointegration for amputation should not deter patients or clinicians from considering this procedure. Females and heavier patients are likely to have an increased risk of fracture. Age, years since amputation, and bone density do not appear influential. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(2):162–169

Aims

The aims of this study were to evaluate the incidence of reoperation (all cause and specifically for periprosthetic femoral fracture (PFF)) and mortality, and associated risk factors, following a hemiarthroplasty incorporating a cemented collarless polished taper slip stem (PTS) for management of an intracapsular hip fracture.

Purpose: To review the results of periprosthetic femoral fractures treated using cortical strut allograft and plate internal fixation. Material & Methods: Between November 1996 and July 2006, 17 patients with periprosthetic fractures of the femur after hip arthroplasty were treated using deep-frozen cortical strut allografts as an adjunct support after internal fixation. The average age was 79 years (range 56 to 96 years) with 13 woman and 4 men. According to the Vancouver classification system, there were 6 type B1, 5 type B2, 1 type B3 and 5 type C fractures. All fractures were closed except for one type I of Gustilo. Twelve patients had internal fixation of the fracture using a Dall-Miles cable and plate system, 5 using a AO/ASIF 4.5 dynamic compression plate, and 2 had an associated revision arthroplasty of the stem. Cortical strut allograft was used from the femur in 6 cases and from the tibia in 11 cases. Mean follow-up was of 97.5 weeks. Results: One patient presented a rupture of a screw and varus displacement of the fracture, but healed without symptomatic complaints. A superficial infection occurred in the patient with open fracture. All the patients, except for two, required allogenic blood transfusion. Mean inhospital stay was of 18.6 days and walk with weigh was allowed at a mean of 50.9 days. Two patients died few weeks after the treatment due to complications of their previous pathological disorders. Aseptic loosening of a hip arthroplasty occurred at two years follow-up requiring revision surgery. Three patients referred mild pain at the last follow-up visit. Conclusions: Cortical strut allograft associated with internal fixation has provided satisfactory results in the present serie. We consider this procedure safe and effective, specially for type B1 and C periprosthetic femoral fractures

Introduction: Metal-on-metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty is one option for young and active patients with advanced hip disease. Intraoperative or immediate postoperative femoral neck fractures complicating a metal-on-metal hip resurfacing is a well described complication as a result of neck notching and stress shielding of the femoral head. The literature contains very little evidences on the conservative mode of treatment for peri-prosthetic fractures following the index operation with a favourable and an unfavourable outcome. We report a case of femoral neck fracture incurred three months after metal-on-metal hip resurfacing resulting in a varus malunion. Case report: A 55 year old lady underwent metal-on-metal surface hip replacement for advanced osteoarthritis of the left hip. The implants used were Cormet 2000 uncemented 50mm dual coated cup and cemented 44mm femoral head. Intraoperative bone quality was good and no technical difficulties were encountered. She was admitted three months later with a painful left hip after sustaining a fall. The radiograph confirmed left periprosthetic femoral neck fracture with resurfacing prosthesis in situ. She was scheduled for elective revision surgery of the femoral component. The patient elected to go home with the intention of getting readmitted. Initially lost to follow-up, she self referred after 30 months of her fracture with shortening and persistent painful limp. The clinical examination revealed 1.5 cm of true limb shortening with restricted terminal range of abduction and rotational movements. The radiographs revealed a varus malunited fracture with proximal migration of greater trochanter. The acetabular component was well fixed in situ. She is awaiting revision surgery by conversion to conventional total hip arthroplasty. Conclusion: We report the first case of a malunited femoral neck fracture following metal-on-metal hip resurfacing operation. Femoral neck fractures can heal in these cases but poor compliance and resultant failure to closely observe the patient may have contributed to such an unfavourable outcome. These complications may be prevented by increased compliance and communication with the patients. At the same time, the hospital management and professional staff should be aware of such potential problems to prevent their recurrence

Femur fractures are a complication of hip arthroplasty. When the stem is well fixed, fracture fixation is the preferred treatment option. Numerous fixation methods have been advocated, using plates and/or allograft struts. The study was conducted to determine the biomechanical characteristics of three constructs currently used for fixation of these fractures.

Vancouver type B1 periprosthetic femur fractures were created distal to a cemented hip stem implanted in third generation composite femurs. The fractures were fixed with one of three constructs: 1- A non-locking plate and allograft strut (NLP-A) 2- A locking plate and allograft strut (LP-A) 3- A locking plate alone. (LP) The struts were held in place with cables. There were five specimens in each group. Following fixation, the constructs underwent sinusoidal cyclic loading from 200 to 1200 N for 100000 cycles. Stiffness of the constructs was determined in bending, torsion and axial compression before and after cyclic loading. Axial load to failure was also determined.

Overall, cyclic loading had little effect on the mechanical properties of these constructs. The two constructs with allografts were significantly stiffer in coronal plane bending than the construct consisting of only a locking plate. There were no significant differences in axial or torsional stiffness between the constructs. Load to failure of the NLP-A (4095 N) and LP-A (4007 N) constructs was significantly greater than the LP construct (3398 N) (p=0.023 and p=0.044 respectively).

All three constructs tested retained their mechanical characteristics following 100000 cycles of loading. Our initial concerns that the cables holding the allograft strut would loosen appear unfounded. Allograft strut-plate constructs are stiffer in bending and have a higher load to failure than a stand-alone locking plate. When an allograft plate construct is chosen, locking screws provide no mechanical advantage in this experimental model.

It is unclear whether there is a limit to the amount of distal bone required to support fixation of supracondylar periprosthetic femoral fractures. This retrospective multicentre study evaluated lateral locked plating of periprosthetic supracondylar femoral fractures and compared the results according to extension of the fracture distal with the proximal border of the femoral prosthetic component. Between 1999 and 2008, 89 patients underwent lateral locked plating of a supracondylar periprosthetic femoral fracture, of whom 61 patients with a mean age of 72 years (42 to 96) comprising 53 women, were available after a minimum follow-up of six months or until fracture healing. Patients were grouped into those with fractures located proximally (28) and those with fractures that extended distal to the proximal border of the femoral component (33). Delayed healing and nonunion occurred respectively in five (18%) and three (11%) of more proximal fractures, and in two (6%) and five (15%) of the fractures with distal extension (p = 0.23 for delayed healing; p = 0.72 for nonunion, Fisher’s exact test). Four construct failures (14%) occurred in more proximal fractures, and three (9%) in fractures with distal extension (p = 0.51). Of the two deep infections that occurred in each group, one resolved after surgical debridement and antibiotics, and one progressed to a nonunion. Extreme distal periprosthetic supracondylar fractures of the femur are not a contra-indication to lateral locked plating. These fractures can be managed with internal fixation, with predictable results, similar to those seen in more proximal fractures

The February 2024 Hip & Pelvis Roundup. 360. looks at: Trial of vancomycin and cefazolin as surgical prophylaxis in arthroplasty; Is preoperative posterior femoral neck tilt a risk factor for fixation failure? Cemented versus uncemented hemiarthroplasty for displaced intracapsular fractures of the hip; Periprosthetic fractures in larger hydroxyapatite-coated stems: are collared stems a better alternative for total hip arthroplasty?; Postoperative periprosthetic fracture following hip arthroplasty with a polished taper slip versus composite beam stem; Is oral tranexamic acid as good as intravenous?; Stem design and the risk of early periprosthetic femur fractures following THA in elderly patients; Does powered femoral broaching compromise patient safety in total hip arthroplasty?

Management of periprosthetic femoral fractures above a Total Knee Arthroplasty remains a challenge. The different treatment options available include casting for undisplaced fractures, ORIF for a displaced fracture with a well-fixed implant or revision arthroplasty for a very distal fracture and for a fracture with a loose implant.

We describe our experience in treating a very distal displaced supracondylar fracture above a well-fixed femoral component in a 68-year-old woman who was recently diagnosed with breast carcinoma and awaiting mastectomy. There was no evidence of metastatic disease. The knee replacement was done 4 years before and the patient did not have any symptoms in the knee prior to the fall. Conventional ORIF with IM nailing or plate osteosynthesis was not possible due to the very distal site of the fracture.

We used a custom modified 95 degree angled blade plate in which a slot was cut in the middle of the blade halfway along its length to accommodate the pegs of the femoral component in the distal fragment. The fracture was reduced and fixed with the angled blade plate restoring length, alignment, and providing coronal stability. The patient had a satisfactory union at 3 months without deformity giving a good range of pain free movement in the knee.

DCS and 95 degree angled blade plate have been used in the past with mixed results. The lag screw or the blade has to be inserted more proximally to avoid the femoral component and so the distal fixation is often sub optimal. In our case modification of the blade allowed more distal placement providing optimal fixation and avoiding complex revision surgery.

Aims. This study reports the results of 38 total hip arthroplasties (THAs) in 33 patients aged less than 50 years, using the JRI Furlong hydroxyapatite ceramic (HAC)-coated femoral component. Methods. We describe the survival, radiological, and functional outcomes of 33 patients (38 THAs) at a mean follow-up of 27 years (25 to 32) between 1988 and 2018. Results. Of the surviving 30 patients (34 THAs), there were four periprosthetic fractures: one underwent femoral revision after 21 years, two had surgical fixation as the stem was deemed stable, and one was treated nonoperatively due to the patient’s comorbidities. The periprosthetic fracture patients showed radiological evidence of change in bone stock around the femoral stem, which may have contributed to the fractures; this was reflected in change of the canal flare index at the proximal femur. Two patients (two hips) were lost to follow-up. Using aseptic loosening as the endpoint, 16 patients (18 hips; 48%) needed acetabular revision. None of the femoral components were revised for aseptic loosening, demonstrating 100% survival. The estimate of the cumulative proportion surviving for revisions due to any cause was 0.97 (standard error 0.03). Conclusion. In young patients with high demands, the Furlong HAC-coated femoral component gives excellent long-term results. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(4):286–293

Aims. Nonagenarians (aged 90 to 99 years) have experienced the fastest percent decile population growth in the USA recently, with a consequent increase in the prevalence of nonagenarians living with joint arthroplasties. As such, the number of revision total hip arthroplasties (THAs) and total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) in nonagenarians is expected to increase. We aimed to determine the mortality rate, implant survivorship, and complications of nonagenarians undergoing aseptic revision THAs and revision TKAs. Methods. Our institutional total joint registry was used to identify 96 nonagenarians who underwent 97 aseptic revisions (78 hips and 19 knees) between 1997 and 2018. The most common indications were aseptic loosening and periprosthetic fracture for both revision THAs and revision TKAs. Mean age at revision was 92 years (90 to 98), mean BMI was 27 kg/m. 2. (16 to 47), and 67% (n = 65) were female. Mean time between primary and revision was 18 years (SD 9). Kaplan-Meier survival was used for patient mortality, and compared to age- and sex-matched control populations. Reoperation risk was assessed using cumulative incidence with death as a competing risk. Mean follow-up was five years. Results. Mortality rates were 9%, 18%, 26%, and 62% at 90 days, one year, two years, and five years, respectively, but similar to control populations. There were 43 surgical complications and five reoperations, resulting in a cumulative incidence of reoperation of 4% at five years. Medical complications were common, with a cumulative incidence of 65% at 90 days. Revisions for periprosthetic fractures were associated with higher mortality and higher 90-day risk of medical complications compared to revisions for aseptic loosening. Conclusion. Contemporary revision THAs and TKAs appeared to be relatively safe in selected nonagenarians managed with multidisciplinary teams. Cause of revision affected morbidity and mortality risks. While early medical and surgical complications were frequent, they seldom resulted in reoperation. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(6):649–656

Aims. Knowledge on total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) in patients with a history of poliomyelitis is limited. This study compared implant survivorship and clinical outcomes among affected and unaffected limbs in patients with sequelae of poliomyelitis undergoing TKAs. Methods. A retrospective review of our total joint registry identified 94 patients with post-polio syndrome undergoing 116 primary TKAs between January 2000 and December 2019. The mean age was 70 years (33 to 86) with 56% males (n = 65) and a mean BMI of 31 kg/m. 2. (18 to 49). Rotating hinge TKAs were used in 14 of 63 affected limbs (22%), but not in any of the 53 unaffected limbs. Kaplan-Meier survivorship analyses were completed. The mean follow-up was eight years (2 to 19). Results. The ten-year survivorship free from revision was 91% (95% confidence interval (CI) 81 to 100) in affected and 84% (95% CI 68 to 100) in unaffected limbs. There were six revisions in affected limbs: three for periprosthetic femoral fractures and one each for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), patellar clunk syndrome, and instability. Unaffected limbs were revised in four cases: two for instability and one each for PJI and tibial component loosening. The ten-year survivorship free from any reoperation was 86% (95% CI 75 to 97) and 80% (95% CI 64 to 99) in affected and unaffected limbs, respectively. There were three additional reoperations among affected and two in unaffected limbs. There were 12 nonoperative complications, including four periprosthetic fractures. Arthrofibrosis occurred in five affected (8%) and two unaffected limbs (4%). Postoperative range of motion decreased with 31% achieving less than 90° knee flexion by five years. Conclusion. TKAs in post-polio patients are complex cases associated with instability, and one in four require constraint on the affected side. Periprosthetic fracture was the main mode of failure. Arthrofibrosis rates were high and twice as frequent in affected limbs. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(6):635–640

Surgical management of acetabular fractures in older patients remains controversial. The purpose of this study is to compare outcomes of primary THA with outcomes after THA for acute acetabular fractures (aTHA) as well as outcomes following delayed THA (dTHA) following prior acetabular fracture. We analyzed data from a large, national administrative claims database containing diagnostic, procedural, and demographic records from over 157 million patients. We identified all patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty THA continuously enrolled in the database at least 2 years prior and after the index procedure. Patients with an initial diagnostic code for acetabular fracture occurring the same day as the THA were classified as acute acetabular fractures. Patients with an initial acetabular fracture diagnostic code occurring at least 6 months before THA were classified as chronic acetabular fractures. The comparator group was patients undergoing THA with no history of acetabular fracture. There were 426,734 patients undergoing primary THA, 235 patients undergoing aTHA and 1,255 patients undergoing dTHA. Patients with an aTHA had higher complication rates, including revisions (9.8% vs 5.6%,), dislocations (8.9% vs 6.4%), and periprosthetic fracture (5.1% vs 2.3%) compared to dTHA. After adjusting for age, sex, region, and comorbidities, receiving an aTHA increased the odds of revision (OR = 3.65 [95% CI: 2.30–5.49]), dislocation (OR = 4.09 [95% CI: 2.53–6.27]), and periprosthetic fracture (OR = 4.29 [95% CI: 2.26–7.36]) compared to primary THA. Receiving a dTHA significantly increased the odds of revision (adjusted OR = 1.80 [95% CI: 1.40–2.27]), dislocation (adjusted OR = 2.50 [95% CI: 1.97–3.13]), and periprosthetic fracture (adjusted OR = 1.99 [95% CI: 1.34–2.83]) compared to primary THA. Patients undergoing aTHA in the treatment of an acetabular fracture have significantly increased rates of revision, periprosthetic fracture, and dislocation compared to dTHA and primary THA

Aims. Despite multiple trials and case series on hip hemiarthroplasty designs, guidance is still lacking on which implant to use. One particularly deficient area is long-term outcomes. We present over 1,000 consecutive cemented Thompson’s hemiarthroplasties over a ten-year period, recording all accessible patient and implant outcomes. Methods. Patient identifiers for a consecutive cohort treated between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2011 were linked to radiographs, surgical notes, clinic letters, and mortality data from a national dataset. This allowed charting of their postoperative course, complications, readmissions, returns to theatre, revisions, and deaths. We also identified all postoperative attendances at the Emergency and Outpatient Departments, and recorded any subsequent skeletal injuries. Results. In total, 1,312 Thompson’s hemiarthroplasties were analyzed (mean age at surgery 82.8 years); 125 complications were recorded, necessitating 82 returns to theatre. These included 14 patients undergoing aspiration or manipulation under anaesthesia, 68 reoperations (5.2%) for debridement and implant retention (n = 12), haematoma evacuation (n = 2), open reduction for dislocation (n = 1), fixation of periprosthetic fracture (n = 5), and 48 revised stems (3.7%), for infection (n = 13), dislocation (n = 12), aseptic loosening (n = 9), persistent pain (n = 6), periprosthetic fracture (n = 4), acetabular erosion (n = 3), and metastatic bone disease (n = 1). Their status at ten years is summarized as follows: 1,180 (89.9%) dead without revision, 34 (2.6%) dead having had revision, 84 (6.6%) alive with the stem unrevised, and 14 (1.1%) alive having had revision. Cumulative implant survivorship was 90.3% at ten years; patient survivorship was 7.4%. Conclusion. The Thompson’s stem demonstrates very low rates of complications requiring reoperation and revision, up to ten years after the index procedure. Fewer than one in ten patients live for ten years after fracture. This study supports the use of a cemented Thompson’s implant as a cost-effective option for frail hip fracture patients. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(9):710–715

Aims. The aim of this study was to compare open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with revision surgery for the surgical management of Unified Classification System (UCS) type B periprosthetic femoral fractures around cemented polished taper-slip femoral components following primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods. Data were collected for patients admitted to five UK centres. The primary outcome measure was the two-year reoperation rate. Secondary outcomes were time to surgery, transfusion requirements, critical care requirements, length of stay, two-year local complication rates, six-month systemic complication rates, and mortality rates. Comparisons were made by the form of treatment (ORIF vs revision) and UCS type (B1 vs B2/B3). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed with two-year reoperation for any reason as the endpoint. Results. A total of 317 periprosthetic fractures (in 317 patients) with a median follow-up of 3.6 years (interquartile range (IQR) 2.0 to 5.4) were included. The fractures were type B1 in 133 (42.0%), B2 in 170 (53.6%), and B3 in 14 patients (4.4%). ORIF was performed in 167 (52.7%) and revision in 150 patients (47.3%). The two-year reoperation rate (15.3% vs 7.2%; p = 0.021), time to surgery (4.0 days (IQR 2.0 to 7.0) vs 2.0 days (IQR 1.0 to 4.0); p < 0.001), transfusion requirements (55 patients (36.7%) vs 42 patients (25.1%); p = 0.026), critical care requirements (36 patients (24.0%) vs seven patients (4.2%); p < 0.001) and two-year local complication rates (26.7% vs 9.0%; p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the revision group. The two-year rate of survival was significantly higher for ORIF (91.9% (standard error (SE) 0.023%) vs 83.9% (SE 0.031%); p = 0.032) compared with revision. For B1 fractures, the two-year reoperation rate was significantly higher for revision compared with ORIF (29.4% vs 6.0%; p = 0.002) but this was similar for B2 and B3 fractures (9.8% vs 13.5%; p = 0.341). The most common indication for reoperation after revision was dislocation (12 patients; 8.0%). Conclusion. Revision surgery has higher reoperation rates, longer surgical waiting times, higher transfusion requirements, and higher critical care requirements than ORIF in the management of periprosthetic fractures around polished taper-slip femoral components after THA. ORIF is a safe option providing anatomical reconstruction is achievable. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(2):124–134

Introduction: Management of supracondylar fractures above a TKR is a difficult problem, aggravated by the increasing number of arthroplasties carried out and the increase of the ageing population. The aim of this paper is to determine the limb function after treatment of these fractures.

Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective study of the outcome of the treatment of suprandylar fractures above an ipsilateral TKR. All fractures were classified according to the Lewis & Rorabeck System. Conservative treatment was provided to eight fractures. Osteosynthesis using a Dynamic Condylar Screw (DCS) was performed to five patients. The largest group of twenty patients was treated with a retrograde supracondylar nail. Three patients underwent a revision surgery.

Results: Four out of eight fractures treated conservatively had a satisfactory outcome. All patients treated with a DCS achieved a satisfactory result. Seventy five percent of patients treated with a supracondylar nail gained adequate functional and anatomical result. Revision surgery was satisfactory in all cases.

Conclusion: The above-described fractures are still not very frequent, but represent a high risk of important complications, with potentially disastrous consequences. For those reasons and the poor bone stock in the elderly its management is controversial. The challenge for the surgeon is to achieve the goals of consolidation of the fracture, preservation of a painless TKR, and, restoration of the previous functional status. A complex group of factors, such as fracture pattern, implant status, bone quality and general condition of the patient, need to be assessed.

Aims. Medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (mUKA) is an advised treatment for anteromedial knee osteoarthritis. While long-term survival after mUKA is well described, reported incidences of short-term surgical complications vary and the effect of surgical usage on complications is less established. We aimed to describe the overall occurrence and treatment of surgical complications within 90 days of mUKA, as well as occurrence in high-usage centres compared to low-usage centres. Methods. mUKAs performed in eight fast-track centres from February 2010 to June 2018 were included from the Lundbeck Foundation Centre for Fast-track Hip and Knee Replacement Database. All readmissions within 90 days of surgery underwent chart review and readmissions related to the surgical wound or the prosthesis were recorded. Centres were categorized as high-usage centres when using mUKA in ≥ 20% of annual knee arthroplasties. The occurrence of complications between high- and low-usage centres were compared using Fisher’s exact test. Results. We included 3,757 mUKAs: 2,377 mUKAs from high-usage centres and 1,380 mUKAs from low-usage centres. Surgical complications within 90 days occurred in 69 cases (1.8%), 45 (1.9%) in high-usage centres and 24 (1.7%) in low-usage centres (odds ratio (OR) 1.1 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.65 to 1.8)). The most frequent complications were periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) (n = 18; 0.48%), wound-related issues (n = 14; 0.37%), and periprosthetic fractures (n = 13; 0.35%). Bearing dislocations (n = 7; 0.19%) occurred primarily in procedures from high-usage centres. In high-usage centres, seven periprosthetic fractures (0.29%) occurred compared to six (0.43%) in low-usage centres (OR 0.68 (95% CI 0.20 to 2.0)). In high-usage centres, nine PJIs (0.38%) occurred compared to nine (0.65%) in low-usage centres (OR 0.58 (95% CI 0.22 to 1.6)). Conclusion. Surgical complications are rare after fast-track mUKA surgery and with no difference in overall occurrence of surgical complications between high- and low-usage centres, although the risk of some specific surgical complications may favour high-usage centres. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(6):457–462

Aims. With increasing burden of revision hip arthroplasty (THA), one of the major challenges is the management of proximal femoral bone loss associated with previous multiple surgeries. Proximal femoral arthroplasty (PFA) has already been popularized for tumour surgeries. Our aim was to describe the outcome of using PFA in these demanding non-neoplastic cases. Methods. A retrospective review of 25 patients who underwent PFA for non-neoplastic indications between January 2009 and December 2015 was undertaken. Their clinical and radiological outcome, complication rates, and survival were recorded. All patients had the Stanmore Implant – Modular Endo-prosthetic Tumour System (METS). Results. At mean follow-up of 5.9 years, there were no periprosthetic fractures. Clearance of infection was achieved in 63.6% of cases. One hip was re-revised to pseudo arthroplasty for deep infection. Instability was noted in eight of the hips (32%), of which seven needed further surgery. Out of these eight hips with instability, five had preoperative infection. Deep infection was noted in five of the hips (20%), of which four were primarily revised for infection. One patient had aseptic loosening of the femoral component and awaits revision surgery. The Kaplan-Meier survivorship free of revision of any component for any reason was 72% (95% confidence interval (CI) 51.3% to 92.7%), and for revisions of only femoral component for any reason was 96% (95% CI 86.3% to 105.7%) at five years. Conclusion. Dislocation and infection remain the major cause for failure, particularly in patients with pre-existing infection. The use of dual mobility cups, silver-coated implants, and less aggressive postoperative rehabilitation regimens would possibly aid in the reduction of complications. PFA performed in patients with periprosthetic fracture seem to fair better. This study supports the judicious use of PFA in non-oncological revision hip arthroplasties, and that they be performed by experienced revision arthroplasty surgeons. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(3):229–235

Abstract. Background. The incidence of periprosthetic fractures of the femur around a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is rising and this is owed to the increased longevity that today's TKA implants allow for, as well as an aging population. These injuries are significant as they are related to increased morbidity and mortality. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed all periprosthetic fractures around a TKA that presented to our NHS Trust between 2011 to 2020. Medical records were reviewed. Treatment, complications and mortality were noted. Results. 37 patients (34 females) with an average age of 84 (range 65–99) met the inclusion criteria for this study. 17 patients (45.9%) underwent open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), eight patients (21.6%) underwent revision arthroplasty to a distal femoral replacement (DFR) and 12 patients (32.4%) were treated non-operatively. 10 (58.8%) of the 17 patients that were treated with ORIF were discharged from hospital to a rehabilitation facility rather than their usual residence. In comparison, 3 (37.5%) of the patients that were treated with a DFR were discharged to a rehabilitation facility. one-year mortality rate in the ORIF group was 29.4 compared to 12.5% in those that had a DFR. Conclusion. Revision arthroplasty using a DFR should be considered in patients with periprosthetic fractures around a TKR, as it is associated with lower mortality rates and higher immediate post-operative function

Aims. Periprosthetic fracture and implant loosening are two of the major reasons for revision surgery of cementless implants. Optimal implant fixation with minimal bone damage is challenging in this procedure. This pilot study investigates whether vibratory implant insertion is gentler compared to consecutive single blows for acetabular component implantation in a surrogate polyurethane (PU) model. Methods. Acetabular components (cups) were implanted into 1 mm nominal under-sized cavities in PU foams (15 and 30 per cubic foot (PCF)) using a vibratory implant insertion device and an automated impaction device for single blows. The impaction force, remaining polar gap, and lever-out moment were measured and compared between the impaction methods. Results. Impaction force was reduced by 89% and 53% for vibratory insertion in 15 and 30 PCF foams, respectively. Both methods positioned the component with polar gaps under 2 mm in 15 PCF foam. However, in 30 PCF foam, the vibratory insertion resulted in a clinically undesirable polar gap of over 2 mm. A higher lever-out moment was achieved with the consecutive single blow insertion by 42% in 15 PCF and 2.7 times higher in 30 PCF foam. Conclusion. Vibratory implant insertion may lower periprosthetic fracture risk by reducing impaction forces, particularly in low-quality bone. Achieving implant seating using vibratory insertion requires adjustment of the nominal press-fit, especially in denser bone. Further preclinical testing on real bone tissue is necessary to assess whether its viscoelasticity in combination with an adjusted press-fit can compensate for the reduced primary stability after vibratory insertion observed in this study. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2024;13(6):272–278

Tibial periprosthetic fracture is an important complication of the Oxford Unicompartmental Knee Replacement (OUKR). Primary fixation of cementless OUKR tibial components relies on the interference-fit of the ‘keel’ and a slot in the proximal tibia. Clinically used double blade keel saws (DKS) create slots with two grooves, generating stress concentrations where fractures may initiate. This study aimed to investigate slot factors that may influence incidence of tibial periprosthetic fractures. Slots were made in PCF20 polyurethane foam using the DKS plus/minus adjuvant rasping, single blade keel saw (SKS), and rasp-only. Round and square slots were machined with milling cutters. Compact tensile tests were conducted per ASTM E399 to determine tensile load to fracture (TLTF) and results were validated using bovine tibia. Cementless OUKR components were implanted into slots in custom polyurethane blocks and compressed to failure to determine anatomical load to fracture (ALTF). A custom MATLAB program calculated slot roundness from cross-sectional images. Round slots had higher TLTF (29.5N, SD=2.7) than square (25.2N, SD=1.7, p<0.05) and DKS slots (23.3N, SD=2.7, p<0.0001). Fractures occurred at the round slot apices, square slot corners, and deepest DKS slot grooves. ALTF was not significantly different between square and round slots. Adjuvant rasping made DKS slots significantly rounder, resulting in significantly higher TLTF, but rasping did not increase ALTF. ALTF was significantly higher for SKS (850N, SD=133, p<0.01) and rasp-only (912N, SD=100, p<0.001) slots compared to standard DKS slots (703N, SD=81). Round keel slots minimise stress concentrations and increase TLTF but do not increase ALTF. The SKS and rasp-only slots retain material at slot ends and have significantly higher ALTF. Future studies should assess saw blades that retain material and round slot ends to evaluate if their use may significantly reduce the incidence of tibial periprosthetic fracture

Aims. The aim of this study was to conduct a cross-sectional, observational cohort study of patients presenting for revision of a total hip, or total or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, to understand current routes to revision surgery and explore differences in symptoms, healthcare use, reason for revision, and the revision surgery (surgical time, components, length of stay) between patients having regular follow-up and those without. Methods. Data were collected from participants and medical records for the 12 months prior to revision. Patients with previous revision, metal-on-metal articulations, or hip hemiarthroplasty were excluded. Participants were retrospectively classified as ‘Planned’ or ‘Unplanned’ revision. Multilevel regression and propensity score matching were used to compare the two groups. Results. Data were analyzed from 568 patients, recruited in 38 UK secondary care sites between October 2017 and October 2018 (43.5% male; mean (SD) age 71.86 years (9.93); 305 hips, 263 knees). No significant inclusion differences were identified between the two groups. For hip revision, time to revision > ten years (odds ratio (OR) 3.804, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.353 to 10.694), p = 0.011), periprosthetic fracture (OR 20.309, 95% CI (4.574 to 90.179), p < 0.001), and dislocation (OR 12.953, 95% CI (4.014 to 41.794), p < 0.001), were associated with unplanned revision. For knee, there were no associations with route to revision. Revision after ten years was more likely for those who were younger at primary surgery, regardless of route to revision. No significant differences in cost outcomes, length of surgery time, and access to a health professional in the year prior to revision were found between the two groups. When periprosthetic fractures, dislocations, and infections were excluded, healthcare use was significantly higher in the unplanned revision group. Conclusion. Differences between characteristics for patients presenting for planned and unplanned revision are minimal. Although there was greater healthcare use in those having unplanned revision, it appears unlikely that routine orthopaedic review would have detected many of these issues. It may be safe to disinvest in standard follow-up provided there is rapid access to orthopaedic review. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(1):59–67

The June 2024 Knee Roundup. 360. looks at: The estimated lifetime risk of revision after primary knee arthroplasty influenced by age, sex, and indication; Should high-risk patients seek out care from high-volume surgeons?; Stability and fracture rates in medial unicondylar knee arthroplasties; Rethinking antibiotic prophylaxis for dental procedures post-arthroplasty; Evaluating DAIR: a viable alternative for acute periprosthetic joint infection; The characteristics and predictors of mortality in periprosthetic fractures around the knee; Patient health-related quality of life deteriorates significantly while waiting six to 12 months for total hip or knee arthroplasty; The importance of looking for diversity in knee implants

Introduction. Management of Vancouver type B1 and C periprosthetic fractures in elderly patients requires fixation and an aim for early mobilisation but many techniques restrict weightbearing due to re-fracture risk. We present the clinical and radiographic outcomes of our technique of total femoral plating (TFP) to allow early weightbearing whilst reducing risk of re-fracture. Methods. A single-centre retrospective cohort study was performed including twenty-two patients treated with TFP for fracture around either hip or knee replacements between May 2014 and December 2017. Follow-up data was compared at 6, 12 and 24 months. Primary outcomes were functional scores (Oxford Hip or Knee score (OHS/OKS)), Quality of Life (EQ-5D) and satisfaction at final follow-up (Visual Analogue Score (VAS)). Secondary outcomes were radiographic fracture union and complications. Results. Mean OHS and OKS was 50.25, EQ-5D score was >4 for all modalities, VAS was 64.4/100. Radiographs demonstrated bony union in 58% at 3 months and 76% at 6 months. We identified no case of re-fracture however non-union occurred in 4 patients. No other operative complications were identified. Conclusion. These results suggest that TFP may be a safe, viable option for management of periprosthetic fractures around stable implants allowing the benefit of early weightbearing, satisfactory outcomes and low re-fracture risk

The December 2022 Hip & Pelvis Roundup. 360. looks at: Fix and replace: simultaneous fracture fixation and hip arthroplasty for acetabular fractures in older patients; Is the revision rate for femoral neck fracture lower for total hip arthroplasty than for hemiarthroplasty?; Femoral periprosthetic fractures: data from the COMPOSE cohort study; Dual-mobility cups and fracture of the femur; What’s the deal with outcomes for hip and knee arthroplasty outcomes internationally?; Osteochondral lesions of the femoral head: is costal cartilage the answer?

The April 2023 Hip & Pelvis Roundup. 360. looks at: Do technical errors determine outcomes of operatively managed femoral neck fractures in younger adults?; Single-stage or two-stage revision for hip prosthetic joint infection (INFORM); Fixation better than revision in type B periprosthetic fractures of taper slip stems; Can you maximize femoral head size at the expense of liner thickness?; Plasma D-dimer for periprosthetic joint infection?; How important is in vivo oxidation?; Total hip arthroplasty for HIV patients with osteonecrosis

Aims. The aim of this study was to estimate the 90-day risk of revision for periprosthetic femoral fracture associated with design features of cementless femoral stems, and to investigate the effect of a collar on this risk using a biomechanical in vitro model. Materials and Methods. A total of 337 647 primary total hip arthroplasties (THAs) from the United Kingdom National Joint Registry (NJR) were included in a multivariable survival and regression analysis to identify the adjusted hazard of revision for periprosthetic fracture following primary THA using a cementless stem. The effect of a collar in cementless THA on this risk was evaluated in an in vitro model using paired fresh frozen cadaveric femora. Results. The prevalence of early revision for periprosthetic fracture was 0.34% (1180/337 647) and 44.0% (520/1180) occurred within 90 days of surgery. Implant risk factors included: collarless stem, non-grit-blasted finish, and triple-tapered design. In the in vitro model, a medial calcar collar consistently improved the stability and resistance to fracture. Conclusion. Analysis of features of stem design in registry data is a useful method of identifying implant characteristics that affect the risk of early periprosthetic fracture around a cementless femoral stem. A collar on the calcar reduced the risk of an early periprosthetic fracture and this was confirmed by biomechanical testing. This approach may be useful in the analysis of other uncommon modes of failure after THA. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:779–786

NICE Guidelines suggest patients should be offered a Total Hip Replacement (THR) rather than Hemiarthroplasty for a displaced intracapsular hip fracture. We investigated outcomes of patients aged 40–65 who received a THR or Hemiarthroplasty following a traumatic intracapsular hip fracture and had either high-risk (Group 1) or low-risk (Group 2) alcohol consumption (>14 or <14 units/week respectively). This was a retrospective study (April 2008 – December 2018) evaluating patients who underwent THR or Hemiarthroplasty in Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Atraumatic injuries, acetabular fractures, patients with previous procedures on the affected side and those lost to follow up were excluded. Analysis of length of admission, dislocation risk, periprosthetic fractures, infection risk, and mortality was conducted between both cohorts. Survival time post-operatively of Group 1 patients with a THR (61.9 months) and Hemiarthroplasty (42.3 months) were comparable to Group 2 patients with a THR (59 months) and Hemiarthroplasty(42.4 months). Group 1 patients with THR had increased risk of dislocation (12.9%; p=0.04) compared to those that received Hemiarthroplasty (2.5%). Group 1 Hemiarthroplasty patients had increased wound infection risk (11.6%) compared to Group 2 (3.7%). In conclusion, we found that amongst our population the life expectancy of a post-operative patient was short irrespective of whether they had high or low-risk alcohol consumption. A hip fracture may represent increased frailty in our study population. The Group 1 THR cohort presented a higher risk of hip dislocation and periprosthetic fracture. With this in mind, Hemiarthroplasty is a more cost-effective and shorter operation which produces similar results

Abstract. Introduction. We aimed to compare the outcomes of elderly patients with periarticular distal femur or supracondylar periprosthetic fractures treated with either open reduction internal fixation or distal femoral replacement. Methods. A retrospective review of patients over 65 years with AO Type B and C fractures of the distal femur or Su type I and II periprosthetic fractures treated with either a DFR or ORIF was undertaken. Outcomes including Length of Stay, PROMs (Oxford Knee Score and EQ 5D), infection, union, mortality, complication and reoperation rates were assessed. Data on confounding variables were also collected for multivariate analysis. Patients below 65 years and extra articular fractures were excluded. Results. 23 patients (11 in DFR group and 12 in ORIF group) fulfilled inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. There was no difference between the DFR and ORIF groups with respect to SDI, demographic variables, ASA grade, FCI, preoperative Hb and renal function. There was no difference in 30 day mortality, reoperation rates, 30 day readmission rates and LOS between the two groups. Mean follow up was 12.7 and 15.9 months respectively in the DFR and ORIF groups. At final follow up after accounting for all confounding variables on multivariate analysis, functional outcomes using OKS (adjusted mean: 29.5 vs 15.8) and Health related Quality of Life outcomes using EQ 5D (adjusted mean: 0.453 vs −0.07) were significantly better in the DFR group. Conclusion. DFR for periarticular and periprosthetic distal femoral fractures in the elderly are associated with better patient reported outcomes

Current estimates of periprosthetic fracture risk associated with femoral implants is mostly limited to revision only estimates and does not accurately represent stem performance. The aim of this study was to estimate the risk of surgically treated post-operative periprosthetic femoral fracture (POPFF) more accurately associated with frequently used femoral implants used for total hip arthroplasty (THA). A cohort study of patients who underwent primary THA in England between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2020. Periprosthetic fractures were identified from prospectively collected revision records and national procedure coding records. Survival modelling was used to estimate POPFF incidence rates, adjusting for potential confounders. Subgroup analyses were performed for patients over 70 years, with non-osteoarthritic indications, and neck of femur fracture. POPFF occurred in 0.6% (5100/809,832) of cases during a median (IQR) follow up of 6.5 (3.9 to 9.6) years. The majority of POPFF were treated with fixation after implantation of a cemented stem. Adjusted patient time incidence rates (PTIR) for POPFF varied by stem design, regardless of cement fixation. Cemented composite beam stems (CB stems) demonstrated the lowest risk of POPFF. Collared cementless stems had an equivalent or lower rate of POPFF versus the current gold standard polished taper slip cemented stem. POPFF account for a quarter of all revisions following primary THA. Cemented CB stems are associated with the lowest POPFF risk. Stem design is strongly associated with POPFF risk, regardless of the presence of cement. Surgeons, policymakers, and patients should consider these findings when recommending femoral implants in those most at risk of POPFF

The purpose was to determine the lifetime risk of re-operation due to specific complications related to dual mobility using re-operation as a competing risk, excluding loosening, periprosthetic fracture, and infection. 1503 mono-block dual mobility total hip arthroplasty (DM-THAs). Defining the re-operation when anesthesia (for dislocation) and revision when the implant changed. Surgery (801 for primary, 702 for revision with 201 for recurrent dislocation and 501 for loosening) performed between 1990 and 2020 in average 81-year-old (range 50–102) patients, with 522 living patients at 10 years follow-up. During the first month, outer dislocation (60 cases; 4%) was the cause re-operation (1% among primary and 6 % among revisions). Twenty-four intra-prosthetic dislocations (IPD) were an iatrogenic consequence of a failed closed reduction (reduction maneuver dissociating the inner head) with 1.6% revision. Between 1 month and 1 year, 22 new outer dislocations, while 25 of the 60 “first month” dislocations had recurrent dislocation. Fifteen other IPDs as iatrogenic consequences were observed. At one year, the cumulative revision was 3% (49 of 82 dislocations). Between 1- 10-year FU, 132 other dislocations, and 45 other revisions for dislocations were observed. Corrosion was another cause of revision (37 cases): between the cobalt-chromium shell and the femoral neck (23 hips), or 14 crevice corrosion between the trunnion and the metal head (trunnion damage). In summary, at 10-year: dislocation first cause of re-operation (214 anesthesia, 14%), while among 131 revisions (8.9 %) the 55 iatrogenic intra-prosthetic dislocations were the first revision cause before 39 recurrent dislocations and 37 corrosions. The 522 patients followed ten years or more had a 15% risk revision due to DM specific complications during their lifetime and 10% more risk associated with loosening (6%), periprosthetic fracture (2%) and infection (2%)

Abstract. Introduction. The objective of this study was to determine rates of serious adverse events in patients undergoing revision knee arthroplasty with consideration of the indication for revision and compare these with primary knee arthroplasty. Methodology. Primary and revision arthroplasty procedures were identified in the national Hospital Episode Statistics and were linked by patient and side. A logistic regression model was used to investigate factors associated with 90-day mortality (primary outcome) and secondary serious adverse outcomes. Urgent indications for revision arthroplasty were defined as infection or fracture; other indications (e.g. loosening, instability, wear) were included in the elective cohort. Results. 939,021 primary knee arthroplasty and 40,584 revision cases were included. Revision surgery for elective indications was associated with a 90-day rate of mortality of 0.44% (95% CI 0.37-0.52) which was comparable to primary knee arthroplasty (0.46%; 95% CI 0.44-0.47). Revision arthroplasty for infection, however, was associated with a much higher mortality of 2.04% (95% CI 1.75-2.35; odds ratio [OR] 3.54; 95% CI 2.81-4.46), as was revision for periprosthetic fracture at 5.25% (95% CI 3.94-6.82; OR 6.23; 95% CI 4.39-8.85). Higher rates of PE, MI, and stroke were observed in the infection and fracture cohort. Conclusion. Patients presenting with infection of a knee arthroplasty or a periprosthetic fracture are at very high risk of adverse events. It is important that acute hospital services and tertiary referral centres caring for these patients are appropriately supported to ensure appropriate urgency with an anticipation for increased care requirements

The significance of periprosthetic fractures about a total hip arthroplasty (THA) is becoming increasingly important. Recent studies have demonstrated post-operative periprosthetic fracture rates are higher amongst cemented polished taper slip (PTS) stem designs compared to collared cementless (CC) designs. However, in the National Joint Registry, the rate of intra-operative periprosthetic femoral fractures (IOPFF) with cementless implant systems remains higher (0.87% vs 0.42%. p <0.001) potentially leading to more post-operative complications. This study identifies the incidence of IOPFF, the fracture subtype and compares functional outcomes and revision rates of CC femoral implants with an IOPFF to CC stems and PTS stems without a fracture. 5376 consecutive CC stem THA, carried out through a posterior approach were reviewed for IOPFF. Each fracture was subdivided into calcar fracture, greater trochanter (GT) fracture or shaft fracture. 1:1:1 matched analysis was carried out to compare Oxford scores at one year. Matching criteria included; sex (exact), age (± 1 year), American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) grade (exact), and date of surgery (± 6 months). Electronic records were used to review revision rates. Following review of the CC stems, 44 (0.8%) were identified as having an IOPFF. Of these 30 (0.6%) were calcar fractures, 11 (0.2%) GT fractures and 3 (0.06%) were shaft fractures. There were no shaft penetrations. Overall, no significant difference in Oxford scores at one year were observed when comparing the CC IOPFF, CC non-IOPFF and PTS groups. There were no CC stems revised for any reason with either a calcar fracture or trochanteric fracture within the period of 8 years follow-up. IOPFF do occur more frequently in cementless systems than cemented. The majority are calcar and GT fractures. These fractures, when identified and managed intra-operatively, do not have worse functional outcomes or revision rates compared to matched non-IOPFF cases

Aims. Uncemented mobile bearing designs in medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) have seen an increase over the last decade. However, there are a lack of large-scale studies comparing survivorship of these specific designs to commonly used cemented mobile and fixed bearing designs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the survivorship of these designs. Methods. A total of 21,610 medial UKAs from 2007 to 2018 were selected from the Dutch Arthroplasty Register. Multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to compare uncemented mobile bearings with cemented mobile and fixed bearings. Adjustments were made for patient and surgical factors, with their interactions being considered. Reasons and type of revision in the first two years after surgery were assessed. Results. In hospitals performing less than 100 cases per year, cemented mobile bearings reported comparable adjusted risks of revision as uncemented mobile bearings. However, in hospitals performing more than 100 cases per year, the adjusted risk of revision was higher for cemented mobile bearings compared to uncemented mobile bearings (hazard ratio 1.78 (95% confidence interval 1.34 to 2.35)). The adjusted risk of revision between cemented fixed bearing and uncemented mobile bearing was comparable, independent of annual hospital volume. In addition, 12.3% of uncemented mobile bearing, 20.3% of cemented mobile bearing, and 41.5% of uncemented fixed bearing revisions were for tibial component loosening. The figures for instability were 23.6%, 14.5% and 11.7%, respectively, and for periprosthetic fractures were 10.0%, 2.8%, and 3.5%. Bearing exchange was the type of revision in 40% of uncemented mobile bearing, 24.3% of cemented mobile bearing, and 5.3% cemented fixed bearing revisions. Conclusion. The findings of this study demonstrated improved survival with use of uncemented compared to cemented mobile bearings in medial UKA, only in those hospitals performing more than 100 cases per year. Cemented fixed bearings reported comparable survival results as uncemented mobile bearings, regardless of the annual hospital volume. The high rates of instability, periprosthetic fractures, and bearing exchange in uncemented mobile bearings emphasize the need for further research. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(7):1261–1269

Revision knee arthroplasty is a complex procedure with the number and cost of knee revision procedures performed per year expected to rise. Few studies have examined adverse events following revision arthroplasty. The objective of this study was to determine rates of serious adverse events in patients undergoing revision knee arthroplasty with consideration of the indication for revision (urgent versus elective indications) and to compare these with primary arthroplasty and re-revision arthroplasty. Patients undergoing primary knee arthroplasty were identified in the UK Hospital Episode Statistics. Subsequent revision and re-revision arthroplasty procedures in the same patients and same knee were identified. The primary outcome was 90-day mortality and a logistic regression model was used to investigate factors associated with 90-day mortality and secondary adverse outcomes including infection (undergoing surgery), pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, stroke. Urgent indications for revision arthroplasty were defined as infection or fracture, and all other indications were included in the elective indications cohort. 939,021 primary knee arthroplasty cases were included of which 40,854 underwent subsequent revision arthroplasty, and 9,100 underwent re-revision arthroplasty. Revision surgery for elective indications was associated with a 90-day rate of mortality of 0.44% (135/30,826; 95% CI 0.37-0.52) which was comparable to primary knee arthroplasty (0.46%; 4,292/939,021; 95% CI 0.44-0.47). Revision arthroplasty for infection, however, was associated with a much higher mortality of 2.04% (184/9037; 95% CI 1.75-2.35; odds ratio [OR] 3.54; 95% CI 2.81-4.46), as was revision for periprosthetic fracture at 5.25% (52/991; 95% CI 3.94-6.82; OR 6.23; 95% CI 4.39-8.85). Higher rates of pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, and stroke were also observed in the infection and fracture cohort. These findings highlight the burden of complications associated with revision knee arthroplasty. They will inform shared decision-making for patients considering revision knee arthroplasty for elective indications. Patients presenting with infection of a knee arthroplasty or a periprosthetic fracture are at very high risk of adverse events. It is important that acute hospital services and tertiary referral centres caring for these patients are appropriately supported to ensure appropriate urgency and an anticipation for increased care requirements

Aims. Osteoporosis can determine surgical strategy for total hip arthroplasty (THA), and perioperative fracture risk. The aims of this study were to use hip CT to measure femoral bone mineral density (BMD) using CT X-ray absorptiometry (CTXA), determine if systematic evaluation of preoperative femoral BMD with CTXA would improve identification of osteopenia and osteoporosis compared with available preoperative dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) analysis, and determine if improved recognition of low BMD would affect the use of cemented stem fixation. Methods. Retrospective chart review of a single-surgeon database identified 78 patients with CTXA performed prior to robotic-assisted THA (raTHA) (Group 1). Group 1 was age- and sex-matched to 78 raTHAs that had a preoperative hip CT but did not have CTXA analysis (Group 2). Clinical demographics, femoral fixation method, CTXA, and DXA data were recorded. Demographic data were similar for both groups. Results. Preoperative femoral BMD was available for 100% of Group 1 patients (CTXA) and 43.6% of Group 2 patients (DXA). CTXA analysis for all Group 1 patients preoperatively identified 13 osteopenic and eight osteoporotic patients for whom there were no available preoperative DXA data. Cemented stem fixation was used with higher frequency in Group 1 versus Group 2 (28.2% vs 14.3%, respectively; p = 0.030), and in all cases where osteoporosis was diagnosed, irrespective of technique (DXA or CTXA). Conclusion. Preoperative hip CT scans which are routinely obtained prior to raTHA can determine bone health, and thus guide femoral fixation strategy. Systematic preoperative evaluation with CTXA resulted in increased recognition of osteopenia and osteoporosis, and contributed to increased use of cemented femoral fixation compared with routine clinical care; in this small study, however, it did not impact short-term periprosthetic fracture risk. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(3):254–260

Aims. The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival of a collarless, straight, hydroxyapatite-coated femoral stem in total hip arthroplasty (THA) at a minimum follow-up of 20 years. Methods. We reviewed the results of 165 THAs using the Omnifit HA system in 138 patients, performed between August 1993 and December 1999. The mean age of the patients at the time of surgery was 46 years (20 to 77). Avascular necrosis was the most common indication for THA, followed by ankylosing spondylitis and primary osteoarthritis. The mean follow-up was 22 years (20 to 31). At 20 and 25 years, 113 THAs in 91 patients and 63 THAs in 55 patients were available for review, respectively, while others died or were lost to follow-up. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to evaluate the survival of the stem. Radiographs were reviewed regularly, and the stability of the stem was evaluated using the Engh classification. Results. A total of seven stems (4.2%) were revised during the study period: one for aseptic loosening, three for periprosthetic fracture, two for infection, and one for recurrent dislocation. At 20 years, survival with revision of the stem for any indication and for aseptic loosening as the endpoint was 96.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) 92.6 to 99.5) and 98.4% (95% CI 96.2 to 100), respectively. At 25 years, the corresponding rates of survival were 94.5% (95% CI 89.9 to 99.3) and 98.1% (95% CI 95.7 to 99.6), respectively. There was radiological evidence of stable bony fixation in 86 stems (76.1%) and evidence of loosening in four (3.5%) at 20 years. All patients with radiological evidence of loosening were asymptomatic. Conclusion. The Omnifit HA femoral stem offered promising long-term survival into the third decade. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(3 Supple A):110–114

Aims. There is a paucity of long-term studies analyzing risk factors for failure after single-stage revision for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following total hip arthroplasty (THA). We report the mid- to long-term septic and non-septic failure rate of single-stage revision for PJI after THA. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed 88 cases which met the Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS) criteria for PJI. Mean follow-up was seven years (1 to 14). Septic failure was diagnosed with a Delphi-based consensus definition. Any reoperation for mechanical causes in the absence of evidence of infection was considered as non-septic failure. A competing risk regression model was used to evaluate factors associated with septic and non-septic failures. A Kaplan-Meier estimate was used to analyze mortality. Results. The cumulative incidence of septic failure was 8% (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.5 to 15) at one year, 13.8% (95% CI 7.6 to 22) at two years, and 19.7% (95% CI 12 to 28.6) at five and ten years of follow-up. A femoral bone defect worse than Paprosky IIIA (hazard ratio (HR) 13.58 (95% CI 4.86 to 37.93); p < 0.001) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m. 2. ; HR 3.88 (95% CI 1.49 to 10.09); p = 0.005) were significantly associated with septic failure. Instability and periprosthetic fracture were the most common reasons for mechanical failure (5.7% and 4.5%, respectively). The cumulative incidence of aseptic failure was 2% (95% CI 0.4 to 7) at two years, 9% (95% CI 4 to 17) at five years, and 12% (95% CI 5 to 22) at ten years. A previous revision to treat PJI was significantly associated with non-septic failure (HR 9.93 (95% CI 1.77 to 55.46); p = 0.009). At the five-year timepoint, 93% of the patients were alive (95% CI 84% to 96%), which fell to 86% (95% CI 75% to 92%) at ten-year follow-up. Conclusion. Massive femoral bone loss was associated with greater chances of developing a further septic failure. All septic failures occurred within the first five years following the one-stage exchange. Surgeons should be aware of instability and periprosthetic fracture being potential causes of further aseptic revision surgery. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(7):1247–1253

Aims. Total femoral arthroplasty (TFA) is a rare procedure used in cases of significant femoral bone loss, commonly from cancer, infection, and trauma. Low patient numbers have resulted in limited published work on long-term outcomes, and even less regarding TFA undertaken for non-oncological indications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of all TFAs in our unit. Methods. Data were collected retrospectively from a large tertiary referral revision arthroplasty unit’s database. Inclusion criteria included all patients who underwent TFA in our unit. Preoperative demographics, operative factors, and short- and long-term outcomes were collected for analysis. Outcome was defined using the Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS) outcome reporting tool. Results. Overall, 38 TFAs were identified. The mean age was 73 years (42 to 80). All patients underwent TFA for non-oncological indications, most commonly as a consequence of infection (53%) and periprosthetic fracture (26%). The mean follow-up time was ten years (0 to 26); 63% of TFAs were considered a success based upon the MSIS outcome reporting tool. The mean time between TFA and death was 8.5 years (0.2 to 19.2), with two patients dying within one year of surgery. Within the cohort, 66% suffered at least one complication, dislocation being most common (37%); 55% of the total cohort required at least one subsequent operation. In total, 70% of TFAs undertaken for infection were considered infection-free at time of final follow-up. The percentage of mobile patients improved from 52% to 65% between pre- and postoperation, with all patients being able to at least transfer from bed to chair at time of final review. Conclusion. This study is the largest in the UK assessing the use of TFA in patients with bone loss secondary to non-oncological conditions. It demonstrates that TFA has a significant complication profile, however it is favourable in terms of mortality and rehabilitation when compared to amputation and disarticulation. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(8):888–894

Introduction. Osseointegration has emerged as a promising alternative to rehabilitating with a traditional socket mounted prosthesis. Advantages have been reported to include improved functional mobility, better osseoperception, improved comfort, reduced pain, better biomechanical alignment and better gait, which all lead to a less restricted lifestyle and significantly improved quality of life. A major concern of the Osseointegrated approach lies in the risk of infections occurring from the permanent transcutaneous opening often referred to as the stoma. Several systematic reviews have indicated that the occurrence of minor infections can be quite common, serious complications are reported to be rare. In addition to commonly anticipated complications including fractures, surgical debridements or revisions, we have identified several significant events in which a patient may require to be readmitted and go through additional surgery. The objective of this study is to examine the rate of occurrence and reports on the best management practices of serious complications across a multi-centre review of more than 1000 osseointegration surgeries. Materials & Methods. A detailed analysis has been performed on all osseointegration surgeries performed by the Osseointegration Group of Australia and it's affiliates between since 2010. The majority of surgeries took place in Australia, the United States, the Middle East as well as in Europe. All events leading to a re-admission and subsequent re-operation have been identified through hospital operation records and pooled together for meta-analysis. Events identified include: revision of implants, periprosthetic fracture fixation, surgical debridement due to infections, neurectomies and soft- tissue refashioning. Results. Over 800 surgeries have been identified with a minimum 12-month follow-up time and included in this study. These included tibial, femoral and humeral, radial-ulnar and transpelvic osseointegration cases. The majority of these were performed using a single stage protocol. While general complications such as infection and soft tissue refashioning are common, serious events such as revision and fracture are rare. Interestingly, the rate of debridements and soft-tissue refashions were found to be higher among patients who were operated using a two-stage surgery. Among all cases, there were a total of 399 re-operation events recorded which occurred among 163 patients, indicating a high recurrence rate among the same patients. We recorded a total of 112 washouts, 93 neurectomies, 117 soft tissue refashions, 53 implant revisions and 24 periprosthetic fracture fixations. Conclusions. Many events leading to readmission after the primary surgery may not necessarily be graded as a complication of the osseointegration technique. This study has identified several addition possible reasons in which an osseointegration patient may need to be re-admitted into hospital for additional surgery. It was identified that through the implementation of improved surgical techniques and rehabilitation protocols, the rate of several of these re-operation events can be largely reduced, thus improving the overall outcomes of patients undergoing osseointegration surgery

Aims. Several previously identified patient-, injury-, and treatment-related factors are associated with the development of nonunion in distal femur fractures. However, the predictive value of these factors is not well defined. We aimed to assess the predictive ability of previously identified risk factors in the development of nonunion leading to secondary surgery in distal femur fractures. Methods. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with traumatic distal femur fracture treated with lateral locking plate between 2009 and 2018. The patients who underwent secondary surgery due to fracture healing problem or plate failure were considered having nonunion. Background knowledge of risk factors of distal femur fracture nonunion based on previous literature was used to form an initial set of variables. A logistic regression model was used with previously identified patient- and injury-related variables (age, sex, BMI, diabetes, smoking, periprosthetic fracture, open fracture, trauma energy, fracture zone length, fracture comminution, medial side comminution) in the first analysis and with treatment-related variables (different surgeon-controlled factors, e.g. plate length, screw placement, and proximal fixation) in the second analysis to predict the nonunion leading to secondary surgery in distal femur fractures. Results. We were able to include 299 fractures in 291 patients. Altogether, 31/299 fractures (10%) developed nonunion. In the first analysis, pseudo-R. 2. was 0.27 and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.81. BMI was the most important variable in the prediction. In the second analysis, pseudo-R. 2. was 0.06 and AUC was 0.67. Plate length was the most important variable in the prediction. Conclusion. The model including patient- and injury-related factors had moderate fit and predictive ability in the prediction of distal femur fracture nonunion leading to secondary surgery. BMI was the most important variable in prediction of nonunion. Surgeon-controlled factors had a minor role in prediction of nonunion. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(8):584–593

Introduction. Advantages of osseointegration have been reported to include improved functional mobility, better osseoperception, improved comfort, reduced pain, better biomechanical alignment and gait, which all lead to a less restricted lifestyle and significantly improved quality of life. A major concern of the Osseointegrated approach lies in the risk of infections occurring from the permanent transcutaneous opening often referred to as the stoma. Materials and Methods. Detailed analysis has been performed on all osseointegration surgeries performed by the Osseointegration Group of Australia and it's affiliates since 2010. All events leading to a re-admission and subsequent re-operation have been identified through hospital operation records and pooled together for meta-analysis. Events identified include: revision of implants, periprosthetic fracture fixation, surgical debridement due to infections, neurectomies and soft- tissue refashioning. Results. Majority of these cases were performed following the single-stage protocol. Among all cases, there were a total of 399 re-operation events recorded which occurred among 163 patients, indicating a high recurrence rate among the same patients. We recorded a total of 112 washouts, 93 neurectomies, 117 soft tissue refashions, 53 implant revisions and 24 periprosthetic fracture fixations. Conclusions. In this study, we have identified several addition possible reasons in which an osseointegration patient may need to be re-admitted into hospital for additional surgery. It was identified that through the implementation of improved surgical techniques and rehabilitation protocols, the rate of several of these re-operation events can be largely reduced, thus improving the overall outcomes of patients undergoing osseointegration surgery

Aims. The primary objective of this registry-based study was to compare patient-reported outcomes of cementless and cemented medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) during the first postoperative year. The secondary objective was to assess one- and three-year implant survival of both fixation techniques. Methods. We analyzed 10,862 cementless and 7,917 cemented UKA cases enrolled in the Dutch Arthroplasty Registry, operated between 2017 and 2021. Pre- to postoperative change in outcomes at six and 12 months’ follow-up were compared using mixed model analyses. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models were applied to quantify differences in implant survival. Adjustments were made for patient-specific variables and annual hospital volume. Results. Change from baseline in the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and activity-related pain was comparable between groups. Adjustment for covariates demonstrated a minimally greater decrease in rest-related pain in the cemented group (β = -0.09 (95% confidence interval (CI) -0.16 to -0.01)). Cementless fixation was associated with a higher probability of achieving an excellent OKS outcome (> 41 points) (adjusted odds ratio 1.2 (95% CI 1.1 to 1.3)). The likelihood of one-year implant survival was greater for cemented implants (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.35 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.71)), with higher revision rates for periprosthetic fractures of cementless implants. During two to three years’ follow-up, the likelihood of implant survival was non-significantly greater for cementless UKA (adjusted HR 0.64 (95% CI 0.40 to 1.04)), primarily due to increased revision rates for tibial loosening of cemented implants. Conclusion. Cementless and cemented medial UKA led to comparable improvement in physical function and pain reduction during the initial postoperative year, albeit with a greater likelihood of achieving excellent OKS outcomes after cementless UKA. Anticipated differences in early physical function and pain should not be a decisive factor in the choice of fixation technique. However, surgeons should consider the differences in short- and long-term implant survival when deciding which implant to use. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(5):401–410

Introduction. Distal femur fracture fixation in elderly presents significant challenges due to osteoporosis and associated comorbidities. There has been an evolution in the management of these fractures with a description of various surgical techniques and fixation methods; however, currently, there is no consensus on the standard of care. Non-union rates of up to 19% and mortality rates of up to 26 % at one year have been reported in the literature. Delay in surgery and delay in mobilisation post-operatively have been identified as two main factors for high rate of mortality. As biomechanical studies have proved better stability with dual plating or nail-plate combination, a trend has been shifting for past few years towards rigid fixation to allow early mobilisation. Our study aims to compare outcomes of distal femur fractures managed with either single plate (SP), dual plating (DP) or nail-plate construct (NP). Methods. A retrospective review of patients aged above 65 years with distal femur fractures (both native and peri-prosthetic) who underwent surgical management between June 2020 and May 2023 was conducted. Patients were divided into three groups based on mode of fixation - single plate or dual plating or nail-plate construct. AO/OTA classification was used for non-periprosthetic, and Unified classification system (UCS) was used for periprosthetic fractures. Data on patient demographics, fracture characteristics, surgical details, postoperative complications, re-operation rate, radiological outcomes and mortality rate were evaluated. Primary objective was to compare re-operation rate and mortality rate between 3 groups at 30 days, 6 months and at 1 year. Results. A cohort of 32 patients with distal femur fractures were included in this study. 91% were females and mean age was 80.97 (range 68–97). 18 (53%) were non-periprosthetic fracture and 14 (47%) were periprosthetic fractures.18 patients underwent single plate fixation (AO/OTA 33A – 8, 33B/C – 2, UCS V3B – 5, V3C – 3),10 patients had dual plate fixation (AO/OTA 33A – 1, 33B/C – 4, UCS V3B – 3, V3C – 2) and 4 patients underwent nail-plate combination fixation (AO/OTA 33A – 4). 70.5% patients had surgery within 36 hours of admission and 90% within 48 hours. Analysis showed no re-operation at 30 days, 6 months in all 3 groups. At 1 year one patient had re-operation in dual-plating periprosthetic group (Distal femur replacement done for failed fixation). Three patients (16%) in single plate group had re-operation at 2 years (2 for peri-implant fracture and 1 for infection). None of the patients treated with Nail-plate combination had re-operation. Mortality rate at 30 days was 0% in among all the 3 groups. At 6 months, it was 16% in single plate group and 0% in DP and NP groups at 6 months and at 1 year mortality rate was 27% in SP group, 10% in DP and 0% in NP group. Combined mortality rate was 0% at 30 days, 9% at 6 months and 18.7% at one year. Conclusion. Our analysis provides insights into fixation methods of distal femur fractures in elderly patients. We conclude that a lower re-operation rate and mortality rate can be achieved with early surgery and rigid fixation with either dual plating or nail-plate construct to allow early mobilisation. Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm these findings and guide the selection of optimal surgical strategies for these challenging fractures

Aims. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of hip osteoarthritis, resulting in an increased number of total hip arthroplasties (THAs) performed annually. This study examines the peri- and postoperative outcomes of morbidly obese (MO) patients (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m. 2. ) compared to healthy weight (HW) patients (BMI 18.5 to < 25 kg/m. 2. ) who underwent a THA using the anterior-based muscle-sparing (ABMS) approach. Methods. This retrospective cohort study observes peri- and postoperative outcomes of MO and HW patients who underwent a primary, unilateral THA with the ABMS approach. Data from surgeries performed by three surgeons at a single institution was collected from January 2013 to August 2020 and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Stata 17.0. Results. This study compares 341 MO to 1,140 HW patients. Anaesthesia, surgery duration, and length of hospital stay was significantly lower in HW patients compared to MO. There was no difference in incidence of pulmonary embolism, periprosthetic fracture, or dislocation between the two groups. The rate of infection in MO patients (1.47%) was significantly higher than HW patients (0.14%). Preoperative patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) show a significantly higher pain level in MO patients and a significantly lower score in functional abilities. Overall, six-week and one-year postoperative data show higher levels of pain, lower levels of functional improvement, and lower satisfaction scores in the MO group. Conclusion. The comorbidities of obesity are well studied; however, the implications of THA using the ABMS approach have not been studied. Our peri- and postoperative results demonstrate significant improvements in PROMs in MO patients undergoing THA. However, the incidence of deep infection was significantly higher in this group compared with HW patients. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(5):299–305

Aims. Contemporary outcomes of primary total hip arthroplasties (THAs) with highly cross-linked polyethylene (HXLPE) liners in patients with inflammatory arthritis have not been well studied. This study examined the implant survivorship, complications, radiological results, and clinical outcomes of THA in patients with inflammatory arthritis. Methods. We identified 418 hips (350 patients) with a primary diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis who underwent primary THA with HXLPE liners from January 2000 to December 2017. Of these hips, 68% had rheumatoid arthritis (n = 286), 13% ankylosing spondylitis (n = 53), 7% juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (n = 29), 6% psoriatic arthritis (n = 24), 5% systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 23), and 1% scleroderma (n = 3). Mean age was 58 years (SD 14.8), 66.3% were female (n = 277), and mean BMI was 29 kg/m. 2. (SD 7). Uncemented femoral components were used in 77% of cases (n = 320). Uncemented acetabular components were used in all patients. Competing risk analysis was used accounting for death. Mean follow-up was 4.5 years (2 to 18). Results. The ten-year cumulative incidence of any revision was 3%, and was highest in psoriatic arthritis patients (16%). The most common indications for the 15 revisions were dislocations (n = 8) and periprosthetic joint infections (PJI; n = 4, all on disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)). The ten-year cumulative incidence of reoperation was 6.1%, with the most common indications being wound infections (six cases, four on DMARDs) and postoperative periprosthetic femur fractures (two cases, both uncemented femoral components). The ten-year cumulative incidence of complications not requiring reoperation was 13.1%, with the most common being intraoperative periprosthetic femur fracture (15 cases, 14 uncemented femoral components; p = 0.13). Radiological evidence of early femoral component subsidence was observed in six cases (all uncemented). Only one femoral component ultimately developed aseptic loosening. Harris Hip Scores substantially improved (p < 0.001). Conclusion. Contemporary primary THAs with HXLPE in patients with inflammatory arthritis had excellent survivorship and good functional outcomes regardless of fixation method. Dislocation, PJI, and periprosthetic fracture were the most common complications in this cohort with inflammatory arthritis. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(7):768–774

Aims. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the mortality, morbidity, and functional outcomes of cemented versus uncemented hemiarthroplasty in the treatment of intracapsular hip fractures, analyzing contemporary and non-contemporary implants separately. Methods. PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library were searched to 2 February 2020 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the primary outcome, mortality, and secondary outcomes of function, quality of life, reoperation, postoperative complications, perioperative outcomes, pain, and length of hospital stay. Relative risks (RRs) and mean differences (with 95% confidence intervals (CIs)) were used as summary association measures. Results. A total of 18 studies corresponding to 16 non-overlapping RCTs with a total of 2,819 intracapsular hip fractures were included. Comparing contemporary cemented versus uncemented hemiarthroplasty, RRs (95% CIs) for mortality were 1.32 (0.44 to 3.99) perioperatively, 1.01 (0.48 to 2.10) at 30 days, and 0.90 (0.71 to 1.15) at one year. The use of contemporary cemented hemiarthroplasty reduced the risk of intra- and postoperative periprosthetic fracture. There were no significant differences in the risk of other complications, function, pain, and quality of life. There were no significant differences in perioperative outcomes except for increases in operating time and overall anaesthesia for contemporary cemented hemiarthroplasty with mean differences (95% CIs) of 6.67 (2.65 to 10.68) and 4.90 (2.02 to 7.78) minutes, respectively. The morbidity and mortality outcomes were not significantly different between non-contemporary cemented and uncemented hemiarthroplasty. Conclusion. There are no differences in the risk of mortality when comparing the use of contemporary cemented with uncemented hemiarthroplasty in the management of intracapsular hip fractures. Contemporary cemented hemiarthroplasty is associated with a substantially lower risk of intraoperative and periprosthetic fractures. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(9):1113–1121

Abstract. Objective. To estimate the effect of calcar collar contact on periprosthetic fracture mechanics using a collared fully coated cementless femoral stem. Methods. Three groups of six composite femurs were implanted with a fully coated collared cementless femoral stem. Neck resection was increased between groups (group 1 = normal, group 2 = 3mm additional, group 3 = 6mm additional), to simulate failure to obtain calcar collar contact. Periprosthetic fractures of the femur were simulated using a previously published technique. Fracture torque and rotational displacement were measured and torsional stiffness and rotational work prior to fracture were estimated. High speed video recording identified if collar to calcar contact (CCC) occurred. Results between trials where calcar contact did and did not occur where compared using Mann-Whitney U tests. Results. Where CCC occurred versus where no CCC occurred, fracture torque was greater (47.33 [41.03 to 50.45] Nm versus 38.26 [33.70 to 43.60] Nm, p= 0.05), Rotational displacement was less (0.29 [0.27 to 0.39] rad versus 0.37 [0.33 to 0.49] rad, p= 0.07), torsional stiffness was greater (151.38 [123.04 to 160.42] rad. Nm-1 versus 96.86 [84.65 to 112.98] rad.Nm-1, p <0.01) and rotational work was similar (5.88 [4.67, 6.90] J versus 5.31 [4.40, 6.56] J, p= 0.6). Conclusions. Resistance to fracture and construct stiffness increased when a collared cementless stem made contact with the femoral calcar prior to fracture. These results demonstrate that calcar-collar contact and not a calcar collar per se, is crucial to maximising the protective effect of a medial calcar collar on the risk of post-operative periprosthetic fractures of the femur. Declaration of Interest. (a) fully declare any financial or other potential conflict of interest

Abstract. Objective. To estimate the effect of calcar collar separation on the likelihood of calcar collar contact during in vitro periprosthetic fracture. Methods. Three groups of six composite femurs were implanted with a collared cementless femoral stem. Neck resection was increased between groups (group 1 = normal, group 2 = 3mm additional, group 3 = 6mm additional), to simulate failure to obtain calcar collar contact. Prior to each trial, the distances between anterior (ACC) and posterior (PCC) collar and the calcar were measured. Periprosthetic fractures of the femur were simulated using a previously published technique. High speed video recording identified when collar to calcar contact (CCC) occurred. The ACC and PCC were compared between trials where the CCC was and was not achieved. Regression estimated the odds of failing to achieve CCC for a given ACC or PCC. Results. CCC was achieved prior to fracture in all cases in group one, 50% in group two and 0% in group three. The median (range) ACC for those trials where CCC was achieved was 0.40 (0.00, 3.37) mm versus 6.15 (3.06 to 6.88) mm, where CCC was not achieved (p <0.01). The median (range) PCC for those trials where CCC was achieved was 0.85 (0.00 to 3.71) mm versus 5.97 (2.23 to 7.46) mm, where CCC was not achieved (p <0.01). Binomial logistic regression estimated risk of failure to obtain CCC increased 3.8 fold (95% confidence interval 1.6 to 30.2, p <0.05) for each millimetre of PCC. Conclusions. Increased separation between collar and calcar reduced the likelihood of calcar collar contact during a simulated periprosthetic fracture of the femur. Surgeons should aim to achieve a calcar-collar distance of less than 1mm following implantation to ensure calcar collar contact during periprosthetic femoral fracture and to reduce the risk of fracture. Declaration of Interest. (a) fully declare any financial or other potential conflict of interest

Aims. A variety of surgical approaches are used for total hip arthroplasty (THA), all with reported advantages and disadvantages. A number of common complications can occur following THA regardless of the approach used. The purpose of this study was to compare five commonly used surgical approaches with respect to the incidence of surgery-related complications. Patients and Methods. The electronic medical records of all patients who underwent primary elective THA at a single large-volume arthroplasty centre, between 2011 and 2016, with at least two years of follow-up, were reviewed. After exclusion, 3574 consecutive patients were included in the study. There were 1571 men (44.0%) and 2003 women (56.0%). Their mean age and body mass index (BMI) was 63.0 years (. sd. 11.8) and 29.1 kg/m. 2. (. sd. 6.1), respectively. Data gathered included the age of the patient, BMI, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, estimated blood loss (EBL), length of stay (LOS), operating time, the presence of intra- or postoperative complications, type of complication, and the surgical approach. The approaches used during the study were posterior, anterior, direct lateral, anterolateral, and the northern approach. The complications that were recorded included prolonged wound drainage without infection, superficial infection, deep infection, dislocation, aseptic loosening, and periprosthetic fracture. Finally, the need for re-operation was recorded. Means were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student’s t-tests where appropriate and proportions were compared using the chi-squared test. Results. A total of 248 patients had 263 complications related to the surgery, with an incidence of 6.94%. The anterior approach had the highest incidence of complications (8.5% (113/1329)) and the posterior approach had the lowest, at 5.85% (97/1657; p = 0.006). Most complications were due to deep infection (22.8%), periprosthetic fracture (22.4%), and prolonged wound drainage (21.3%). The rate of dislocation was 0.84% (14/1657) with the posterior approach and 1.28% (17/1329) with the anterior approach (p = 0.32). Conclusion. Overall, THA has a relatively low complication rate. However, the surgical approach plays a role in the incidence of complications. We found that the posterior approach had a significantly lower overall complication rate compared with the anterior approach, with an equal dislocation rate. Periprosthetic fracture and surgical site infection contributed most to the early complication rates. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:646–651

Introduction and Objective. Interest for direct anterior approach (DAA) in hip hemiarthroplasty (HHA) has greatly increased in recent years, however which is the best surgical approach in hip replacement treating femoral neck fractures (FNFs) is already unclear. The aim of this study is to perform a radiographic and perioperative complications analysis by comparing the direct anterior approach (DAA) with the direct lateral approach (DLA) in patients treated with hemiarthroplasty for FNFs. Materials and Methods. Patients with FNFs surgically treated between 2016–2020 with HHA were enrolled. The radiographical outcomes of DAA and DLA are compared. Several peri-operative and post-operative variables were evaluated: mean surgery time, complications as periprosthetic fractures or episodes of dislocation, the average of post-operative diaphyseal filling of the stem (Canal Fill Index, CFI), the extent of heterotopic ossification (HO) (simplified Broker classification) and metadiaphiseal bone loss (Paprosky classification) within one year from surgery. Results. 86 patients underwent HHA by DAA and 80 patients by DLA. The two groups are qualitatively comparable. No statistically significate differences were showed in all variables analyzed (p>0.05). The average of surgical time of DAA were 61 minutes compared to 67 of DLA. No differences were showed in the post-operative CFI (DAA 0.71 ± 6.1; DLA 0.76 ± 13.5), the extent of the HO (DAA 79.07% low; DLA 75% low) and metadiaphiseal bone loss (DAA Grade I 91.86%; DLA Grade I 93.75%). Regarding perioperative complications, we have discovered only one periprosthetic fracture each group. Although there was no statistically significant difference, we highlighted a higher number of dislocations in the group of DLA (2 episodes vs no one). Conclusions. In this study we have shown that the DAA is an adequate surgical choice comparing with the classical DLA for FNFs treated with HHA. The analysis of our radiographic parameters and perioperative complications have not shown a significant difference between the two surgical approach. This study is limited by a purely radiographic analysis without addition of clinical parameters

Benefits of early stabilization of femoral shaft fractures, in mitigation of pulmonary and other complications, have been recognized over the past decades. Investigation into the appropriate level of resuscitation, and other measures of readiness for definitive fixation, versus a damage control strategy have been ongoing. These principles are now being applied to fractures of the thoracolumbar spine, pelvis, and acetabulum. Systems of trauma care are evolving to encompass attention to expeditious and safe management of not only multiply injured patients with these major fractures, but also definitive care for hip and periprosthetic fractures, which pose a similar burden of patient recumbency until stabilized. Future directions regarding refinement of patient resuscitation, assessment, and treatment are anticipated, as is the potential for data sharing and registries in enhancing trauma system functionality. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(4):361–364