Labral tears can lead to disabling hip pain however underlying structural (femoroacetabular impingement) and developmental abnormalities predisposing to labral pathology may be left untreated if the peripheral compartment is ignored during hip arthroscopy. Femoroace-tabular impingement (FAI) can be secondary to abnormal morphologic features involving either the proximal femur and/or the acetabulum. Both acetabular labral tears and FAI lead to premature osteoarthritis of the hip. Early diagnosis and treatment of these hip pathologic abnormalities is important, not only to provide pain relief but also to prevent the development of osteoarthritis.

Purpose: To describe the technique for arthroscopy of the peripheral compartment of the hip joint without traction.

Methods: We performed 9 hip arthroscopies without traction from a lateral and and anterolateral portals in the supine position.

After a traditional central arthroscopy with traction, 60 degrees of flexion at the hip joint without traction allowed relaxation of the anterior capsule and increased the intra-articular volume of the peripheral compartment.

Results: Inspection of the peripheral compartment was obtained from the anterolateral portal. The anterior neck area, medial neck area, medial head area, anterior head area, lateral head area and lateral neck area were viewed. In 3 patients, loose bodies were removed. In 1 patient with PVNS synovial biopsy was taken and synovectomy was performed. Osteochondroplasty was performed in 5 patients for femoroacetabular impingement. No complications were observed.

Conclusions: Hip arthroscopy without traction is mandatory to complete assessment and adequate treatment of the painful hip.

Purpose of the Study: The outcome after revision knee arthroplasty with structural distal femoral allograft augmentation for major bone loss has been rarely reported in the literature. The aim of this study was to assess the outcome for patients managed with such a procedure in our hospital.

Materials and Methods: Since 2001, ten revision knee arthroplasties requiring structural distal femoral allograft for major bone loss were performed in nine patients who underwent surgery at mean age of 68.1±9.8 years and prospectively followed. All patients were operated by the same surgical team. The first assessment was completed for the patients during August 2005 for radiographic and clinical evaluation. The mean follow up time was 22.2±15.1 months.

Results: On radiographic analysis none of the allografts had resorbtion. Implant position

Was preserved in all patients. Two patients had postoperative complications: one had superficial wound infection without need of surgical revision, another patient needed angioplasty because of pseudoaneurisma of popliteal artery and temporary using of knee brace for mild medial instability. Clinical evaluation revealed that mean “Hospital for Special Surgery Score” had improved from 39.8 to 84.1 points and mean range of motions improved from 75.0±42.0 to 103.5±12.5 (p=0.05, paired t-test). Before the surgery all patients used a walker or a crutch, while only one of them used a cane and the remaining patients walked without any support after the operation.

Conclusions: Our preliminary results demonstrate that structural femoral allografts used in revision knee replacement improve clinical and functional outcomes. Further follow-up is planned.

In recent years advances in operative techniques have allowed surgeons to perform total hip arthroplasty (THA) through incisions much smaller than those used previously. Potential advantages of these techniques include the reduction of blood loss and pain in the immediate postoperative period and preserving muscle function.

Potential disadvantages might include increased wound infection rate due to skin ischemia, intraoperative neurovascular injuries, and component malposition. This in turn may lead to long term complications, such as instability, osteolysis, and loosening.

The purpose of this study is to present our results with total hip arthroplasty performed through a minimal invasive technique which is a modification of the standard posterolateral approach.

Methods: In this retrospective study 91 consecutive patients underwent primary total hip arthroplasties were reviewed. The surgeries were performed at our institution from January 2001 to December 2003.

Surgical indications included primary osteoarthritis, subcapital fractures, malignancy, hip displasia, Otopelvis, rheumatoid arthritis and AVN. Exclusion criteria included revision hip arthroplasty, and cemented operations.

A modification of the standard posterlateral approach was used. Standard hip arthroplasty instruments along with curved acetabular reamers and impactor were used. Incision extent was determined by the size of the acetabular component. A fully Hidroxyapetite coated stem, and porous coated acetabullar component were used. Immediate full weight bearing postoperative regimen was allowed in all cases.

Results: In 17 patients (group A) the indication for surgery was a recent subcapital fracture. 74 patients (group B) had no trauma. The average age was 64.2 in group A and 65.1 in group B. No case of deep infection was documented in either group. 5 patients in group B had a single event of a posterior dislocation that was treated successfully with closed reduction. No dislocation occurred in group A. 35% (4) of group A and 41% (22) of group B did not require postoperative blood transfusions. 47% (6) and 36% (14) respectively needed transfusion of 3 blood units or more. Average hospitalization time was 6 days. None of the patients in both groups needed re-operation.

Conclusions: Minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty is associated with a short hospitalization period and relatively low rate of blood transfusion. No major wound healing problems were documented in our series. It appears that the relatively high dislocation rate might be explained partly due to the common use of ceramic inserts. Further modification of the technique for proper acetabular component orientation is needed. However, more prospective with longer follow-up research must be conducted before definitive recommendations can be made.

Introduction: The increasing utilization of total hip arthroplasty and the increasing life expectancy have brought an increasing incidence of revision hip arthroplasty. With severe acetabular, revision surgery with the use of standard cemented or press-fitted components is inadequate for fixation. In these cases the use of proximal femoral allograft can restore the deficiency.

Purpose: To present a new technique and preliminary results of revision total hip arthroplasty using proximal femoral allograft prosthetic composites for massive ace-tabular bone loss. The technique uses the natural vector of forces in the intertrochanteric region in an opposite direction at the acetabular defect.

Methods: From June 2000 to July 2001, seven patients underwent reconstruction of massive acetabular defects with proximal femoral allograft bone. The etiologies for bone loss were infection in 2 patients, aseptic loosening in 4 and acetabular protrusion in 2 patients. In 4 hips there were also femoral defects that was reconstructed with allograft. The average age of the patients was 69.8 years. All patients were wheel chair bound prior to surgery. Harris Hip Score was used to assess preoperative and follow-up function level.

Results: Harris Hip Score improved significantly in all patients. All patients are ambulatory at follow-up. Complications included 2 dislocation and 2 deep-vein thrombosis. No allograft resorbtion was noted at follow-up.

Conclusions: The proximal femoral allograft provides a solid construct for the acetabular cup in large acetabular bone defects. Although failure and complication rates might be higher than revision procedures with lesser bone defects, this reconstructive option for massive ace-tabular defects dramatically improves a patient’s function level.