Aims. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a very successful and cost-effective operation, yet debate continues about the optimum fixation philosophy in different age groups. The concept of the 'cementless paradox' and the UK 'Getting it Right First Time' initiative encourage increased use of cemented fixation due to purported lower revision rates, especially in elderly patients, and decreased cost. Methods. In a high-volume, tertiary referral centre, we identified 10,112 THAs from a prospectively collected database, including 1,699 cemented THAs, 5,782 hybrid THAs, and 2,631 cementless THAs. The endpoint was revision for any reason. Secondary analysis included examination of implant survivorship in patients aged over 70 years, over 75 years, and over 80 years at primary THA. Results. Cemented fixation had the lowest implant survival in all age groups, with a total ten-year survivorship of 97.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) 95.8 to 97.8) in the cemented group, 97.6% (95% CI 96.9 to 98.1) in the hybrid group, and 97.9% (95% CI 96.9 to 98.6) in the cementless group. This was not statistically significant (p = 0.092). There was no age group where cemented fixation outperformed hybrid or cementless fixation. Conclusion. While all fixation techniques performed well at long-term follow-up, cemented fixation was associated with the lowest implant survival in all age groups, including in more elderly patients. We recommend that surgeons should carefully monitor their own outcomes and use fixation techniques that they are familiar with, and deliver the best outcomes in their own hands. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(2):206–211

The clinical success of THA is accepted, however wide variation in implant usage and outcomes is reported across the world. The Getting It Right First Time initiative in the UK has recommended increased use of cemented constructs in patients over 70. A clear clinical directive has been proposed aiming to reduce revision rates, improve outcomes and increase cost effectiveness. This study compares the outcomes of cemented, hybrid and cementless THA from a high-volume single center at long-term follow-up. A prospective database identified 1,699 cemented, 5,782 hybrid and 2,631 cementless THAs. Mean follow-up was 8.1 years, 5.3 years and 6.3 years respectively. Primary endpoint was revision for any reason. 47 (1.79%) cemented, 93 (1.60%) hybrid and 39 (1.48%) cementless THAs underwent revision. The difference in overall revision rate was statistically significant (P=0.002). Mean time to revision was 4.5 years in the cemented group, 2.1 years in the hybrid group and 2.6 years in the cementless group. 1 year survivorship was 99.2% in the cemented group, 99.0% in the hybrid group and 98.9% in the cementless group. 3 year survivorship was 98.6% in the cemented group, 98.8% in the hybrid group and 98.9% in the cementless group. At 10 years it was 97.0%, 97.6% and 97.9% respectively. (Difference not statistically significant (p=0.09). Of relevance cemented fixation showed the lowest 10-year survivorship in patients over 70, over 75 and over 80. (not statistically significant P=0.5, 0.6 and 0.47 respectively). In a high-volume center, excellent outcomes were achieved at 10 years with all three constructs. Cemented THA had the lowest survivorship compared to hybrid, then cementless fixation. Cemented fixation did not outperform cementless fixation in any age group. Surgeons should monitor their outcomes. Use of a philosophy that works best in their own hands should be supported

Aims. Registry studies on modified acetabular polyethylene (PE) liner designs are limited. We investigated the influence of standard and modified PE acetabular liner designs on the revision rate for mechanical complications in primary cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods. We analyzed 151,096 primary cementless THAs from the German Arthroplasty Registry (EPRD) between November 2012 and November 2020. Cumulative incidence of revision for mechanical complications for standard and four modified PE liners (lipped, offset, angulated/offset, and angulated) was determined using competing risk analysis at one and seven years. Confounders were investigated with a Cox proportional-hazards model. Results. Median follow-up was 868 days (interquartile range 418 to 1,364). The offset liner design reduced the risk of revision (hazard ratio (HR) 0.68 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.50 to 0.92)), while the angulated/offset liner increased the risk of revision for mechanical failure (HR 1.81 (95% CI 1.38 to 2.36)). The cumulative incidence of revision was lowest for the offset liner at one and seven years (1.0% (95% CI 0.7 to 1.3) and 1.8% (95% CI 1.0 to 3.0)). No difference was found between standard, lipped, and angulated liner designs. Higher age at index primary THA and an Elixhauser Comorbidity Index greater than 0 increased the revision risk in the first year after surgery. Implantation of a higher proportion of a single design of liner in a hospital reduced revision risk slightly but significantly (p = 0.001). Conclusion. The use of standard acetabular component liners remains a good choice in primary uncemented THA, as most modified liner designs were not associated with a reduced risk of revision for mechanical failure. Offset liner designs were found to be beneficial and angulated/offset liner designs were associated with higher risks of revision. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(7):801–810

Aims. Adult patients with history of childhood infection pose a surgical challenge for total hip arthroplasty (THA) due to distorted bony anatomy, soft-tissue contractures, risk of reinfection, and relatively younger age. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine clinical outcome, reinfection rate, and complications in patients with septic sequelae after THA. Methods. A retrospective analysis was conducted of 91 cementless THAs (57 male and 34 female) performed between 2008 and 2017 in patients who had history of hip infection during childhood. Clinical outcome was measured using Harris Hip Score (HHS) and Modified Merle d’Aubigne and Postel (MAP) score, and quality of life (QOL) using 12-Item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-12) components: Physical Component Score (PCS) and Mental Component Score (MCS); limb length discrepancy (LLD) and radiological assessment of the prosthesis was performed at the latest follow-up. Reinfection and revision surgery after THA for any reason was documented. Results. There was significant improvement in HHS, Modified Merle d’Aubigne Postel hip score, and QOL index SF 12-PCS and MCS (p < 0.001) and there was no case of reinfection reported during the follow-up. The minimum follow-up for the study was three years with a mean of 6.5 (SD 2.3; 3 to 12). LLD decreased from a mean of 3.3 cm (SD 1) to 0.9 cm (SD 0.8) during follow-up. One patient required revision surgery for femoral component loosening. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis estimated revision-free survivorship of 100% at the end of five years and 96.9% (95% confidence interval 79.8 to 99.6) at the end of ten years. Conclusion. We found that cementless THA results in good to excellent functional outcomes in patients with a prior history of childhood infection. There is an exceedingly low rate of risk of reinfection in these patients, even though complications are not uncommon. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(4):314–320

Aims: Limb length discrepancy is a recognised complication of total hip arthroplasty (THA). Cementless THAs are increasingly being used, but in order to achieve rotational and axial stability larger implants may be required than originally templated for. This could potentially result in greater limb length discrepancy. Our objective was to determine if limb length discrepancy exists to a greater degree in cementless THA. Methods: 166 consecutive patients undergoing elective THA between June 2007 and May 2008 were included in this retrospective study. Post-operative, digital radiographs (PACS, Centricity. ®. ) were examined for each of these patients to determine limb length. Limb length discrepancy was calculated as the difference between the perpendicular distance between the inter-teardrop line and the most prominent points on the lesser trochanter of each limb. Magnification was determined from the measured radiographic diameter of the prosthetic heads and their actual diameters. Results: Of the 166 patients included in this study 128 had cementless THA and 38 had cemented. The average magnification was calculated as 30%. Limb length discrepancy was found post-operatively in 93% of cases. In 65% of patients the operated limb was longer (by 0 – 29 mm) and in 28% it was shorter (by 0 – 23 mm). The mean limb length discrepancy, corrected for magnification, was 6.21 mm for cemented THA and 6.22 mm for cementless THA. A student’s T-test demonstrated no significant difference in limb length discrepancy between these operations (p = 0.996). Conclusions: The incidence of limb length discrepancy after THA is high. However, no significant differences were demonstrated between cemented and cementless THAs in our series. Accurate and careful pre-operative templating is important in THA to minimise the risk of clinically significant limb length discrepancy

Second-generation metal-on-metal bearings have been used since the late 1980s as alternative bearings to eliminate aseptic loosening due to polyethylene wear. This study is the first with a long term follow-up for Meteasul, (Zimmer GmbH, Winterthur, Switzerland) metal on metal (MoM) hip replacement; in literature most of the studies have a mean follow-up of 7 years. Metasul showed better performances than other MoM couplings, with a low failure rate at long term follow-up and low revision rate for aspetic loosening. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term results of a series of Metasul implanted between January 1993 and July 1997. 145 cementless THAs with a 28 mm Metasul articulation were performed in 114 consecutive patients. Implant survivorship was calculated and clinical and radiographic evaluations were performed on 93 hips still available for follow-up at a mean of 19 years postoperatively (43 hips are dead or lost to FU, 29, 6%). Nine hips (6.2%) were revised. The cumulative probability of survival of the overall implant at 19 years postoperatively with revision for any reason as the end point, was 0.937 (95% confidence interval, 0.888 to 0.985). The cumulative probability of survival of Metasul with revision for any reason as the end point, was 0.956 (95% confidence interval, 0.916 to 0.997). Clinical outcome has been evaluated with modified Harris Hip Score for 93 hips with an average of 88.8 points. Various degrees of radiolucencies and osteolysis were found proximally around the femoral components of 25 hips (20%). Most of the patients has normal serum levels of metal ions (Co and Cr), and no cases of systemic toxicity has been reported. Cementless Metasul THAs showed high probability of survival at 19 years postoperatively

The fourth generation Delta ceramic, in which zirconia is incorporated into the alumina matrix, was developed to provide improved fracture toughness and wear characteristics. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the minimum 5-year outcomes and bearing-specific complications in a single surgeon series of Delta ceramic-on-ceramic total hip arthroplasties (THAs). We retrospectively analysed 667 patients (749 hips) who underwent cementless THAs using Delta ceramic-on-ceramic bearings by a single surgeon. There were 315 men and 352 women with mean age of 55 years (range, 16 to 88 years) at the time of index surgery. Acetabular and femoral components were cementless in all hips. A 36 mm head was used in 472 hips and a 32 mm head was used in 227 hips. The mean duration of follow-up was 6.3 years (range, 5 to 8 years). The mean Harris hip score improved from 47.6 points preoperatively to 91.1 points at the time of final follow-up. All but one acetabular components were well-fixed, and all but one femoral components were well-fixed. No radiographic evidence of osteolysis was identified at the time of final follow-up. There were 2 (0.27%) ceramic liner fractures and no ceramic head fracture. A total of 48 hips (6.4%) exhibited an audible noise (29 clickings and 19 squeakings), but no patient required revision. Kaplan-Meier survivorship with an end point of revision for any reason was 98.7% at 6.3 years. Delta ceramic-on-ceramic THAs provide excellent clinical outcomes without osteolysis at the minimum 5-year follow-up. However, we also found 0.27% ceramic liner fractures and 6.4% audible noises associated with the use of Delta ceramic-on-ceramic bearings

Ceramic-on-ceramic bearings provide a solution to the osteolysis seen with traditional metal-on-polyethylene bearings. Sporadic reports of ceramic breakage and squeaking concern some surgeons and this bearing combination can show in vivo signs of edge loading wear which was not predicted from in vitro studies. Taper damage or debris in the taper between the ceramic and metal may lead to breakage of either a ceramic head or insert. Fastidious surgical technique may help to minimise the risk of ceramic breakage. Squeaking is usually a benign complication, most frequently occurring when the hip is fully flexed. Rarely, it can occur with each step of walking when it can be sufficiently troublesome to require revision surgery. The etiology of squeaking is multifactorial in origin. Taller, heavier and younger patients with higher activity levels are more prone to hips that squeak. Cup version and inclination are also relevant factors. Osteolysis following metal-on-UHMW polyethylene Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) is well reported. Earlier generation ceramic-on-ceramic bearings did produce some osteolysis, but in flawed implants. As third and now fourth generation ceramic THAs come into mid- and long-term service, the orthopaedic community has begun to see reports of high survival rates and very low incidence of osteolysis in these bearings. The technique used by radiologists for identifying the nature of lesions on Computed Tomography (CT) scan is the Hounsfield score which will identify the density of the tissue within the lucent area. Commonly the radiologist will have no access to previous imaging, especially pre-operative imaging if a long time has elapsed. With such a low incidence of osteolysis in this patient group, what, then, should a surgeon do on receiving a CT report on a ceramic-on-ceramic THA, which states there is osteolysis? This retrospective review aims to determine the accuracy of CT in identifying true osteolysis in a cohort of long-term third generation ceramic-on-ceramic uncemented hip arthroplasties in our department. Pelvic CT scans were performed on the first 27 patients from a cohort of 301 patients undergoing 15-year review with third generation alumina-alumina cementless THAs. The average follow-up was 15 years (15–17). The CT scans were reviewed against pre-operative and post-operative radiographs and reviewed by a second musculoskeletal specialist radiologist. Eleven of the CT scans were reported to show acetabular osteolysis, two reported osteolysis or a possible pre-existing cyst and one reported a definitive pre-existing cyst. After review of previous imaging including pre-operative radiographs, eleven of the thirteen patients initially reported to have osteolysis were found to have pre-existing cysts or geodes in the same size and position as the reported osteolysis, and a further patient had spot-welds with stress-shielding. One patient with evidence of true osteolysis awaits aspiration or biopsy to determine if he has evidence of ceramic wear or metallosis. Reports of osteolysis on CT should be interpreted with care in modern ceramic-on-ceramic THA to prevent unnecessary revision. Further imaging and investigations may be necessary to exclude other conditions such as geodes, or stress shielding which are frequently confused with osteolysis on CT scans

Intra-operative fractures of the femur are on the rise mainly due to the increased use of cementless implants and the desire to get a tight press fit. The prevalence has been reported to be between 1–5% in cementless THAs. The key to preventing these fractures is to identify patients at high risk and careful surgical technique. Surgical risk factors include the use of cementless devices, revision hip surgery, the use of flat tapered wedges and MIS surgery. Patient factors that increased risk include increasing age, female gender, osteopenia and rheumatoid arthritis. These risk factors tend to be additive and certainly when more than one is present extra caution needs to be taken. Surgical technique is critical to avoid these intra-operative fractures. Fractures can occur during exposure and dislocation, during implant removal (in revision THA), during canal preparation and most commonly during stem insertion. In both primary, and especially in revision, THA be wary of the stiff hip in association with osteopenia or osteolysis. These patients require a very gentle dislocation. If this cannot be achieved, then alteration of the standard approach and dislocation may be needed. Examples of these include protrusion with an osteopenic femur and revision THA with a very stiff hip with lysis in the femur. Lastly, in cases with retained hardware, dislocate prior to removing plates and screws. After dislocation, the next challenge is gentle preparation of the femoral canal. A reasonable exposure is required to access the femoral canal safely. MIS procedures do not offer good access to femoral canal and this probably results in increased risk of fracture during broaching or implant insertion. When broaching, stop when broach will not advance further. When inserting a tapered wedge stem, be worried if stem goes further in than broach. In revision surgery, when taking the stem out from above, make sure the area of the greater trochanter does not overhang the canal. A high speed burr can clear the shoulder for easier access for removal. In revision THA with an ETO, place a cerclage wire prior to reaming and retighten prior to stem insertion. Even with careful surgical technique intra-operative femoral fractures will still occur. When inserting the stem, a sudden change in resistance is highly suggestive of fracture. Wide exposure of the entire proximal femur is necessary to confirm the diagnosis. The distal extent of the fracture must be seen. Only on occasion is an intra-operative radiograph needed. Management is directed to ensuring component stability and good fracture fixation. In primary total hip arthroplasty, calcar fractures are by far the most common. If using proximal fixation and you are certain the stem is stable, then all that is needed is cerclage wiring. As already mentioned, you must follow the fracture line distally so you are aware of how far down it goes. Often what appears to be a calcar split actually propagates distal to the lesser trochanter. In these cases, one would probably go for distal fixation plus wiring. In conclusion, intra-operative femoral fractures are on the rise. Prevention is the key

Introduction. The optimal bearing for hip arthroplasty is still a matter of debate. in younger and more active patients ceramic-on-polyethylene (CoP) bearings are frequently chosen over metal-on-polyethylene (MoP) bearings to reduce wear and increase biocompatibility. However, the fracture risk of ceramic heads is higher than that of metal heads. This can cause serious issue, as ceramic fractures pose a serious complication often necessitating major revision surgery – a complication more frequently seen in ceramic-on-ceramic bearings. To date, there are no long-term data (> 20 years of follow-up) reporting fracture rates of the ceramic femoral heads in CoP bearings. Patients and Methods. We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and radiographic results of 348 cementless THAs treated with 2nd generation Biolox® Al2O3 Ceramic-on-Polyethylene (CoP) bearings, which had been consecutively implanted between January 1985 and December 1989. At implantation the mean patient age was 57 years. The cohort was subsequently followed for a minimum of 20 years. At the final follow-up 111 patients had died, and 5 were lost to follow-up (Fig. 1). A Kaplan-Meier survivorship analysis was used to estimate the cumulative incidence of ceramic head fractures over the long-term. Results. (Figs. 2, 3):. After 22-years the cumulative incidence of ceramic head fracture was estimated at 0.3% (95%-CI, 0–2.4%; 38 hips at risk). No impending failures could be noted on radiographic analysis at final follow-up. Discussion. The fracture rate of second-generation ceramic heads using a CoP articulation remains very low into the third decade after cementless THA; ceramic heads appear to be a safe alternative to metal femoral heads. Summary. This study evaluates the long-term (20–25 year) survivorship of cement on polyethylene bearings in uncemented THA

The purpose of this study was to evaluate in vivo fit and fill analysis of tapered wedge-type stem in total hip arthroplasty (THA) with computed tomography (CT)-based navigation system. 100 THAs were all performed through the posterolateral approach, with patients in the lateral decubitus position. Each cohort of 50 consecutive primary cementless THAs with was compared with and without CT-based navigation system. The post-operative antero-posterior (AP) hip radiographs were obtained two weeks after the operation. All radiographic fit and fill measurements in the proximal and distal areas were analyzed by two of the authors who were both blinded to the use of CT-based navigation system. The type of the fit in the cementless stem was divided into three types. The fit of the stem was classified as Type I, if there was both proximal and distal engagement (maximum proximal to distal engagement difference of 2 mm or greater), Type II when there was proximal engagement only, and Type III when there was distal engagement only. The fill parameters such as mean stem-to-canal ratios and mean minimum and maximum gaps between the stems to the cortical bone in proximal and distal sections were compared. There was a significantly better overall canal fit obtained by THA with CT-based navigation system compared to without the navigation system (p<0.01). With CT-based navigation system, 42 of 50 stems (84%) were categorized as Type I fit compared to 31 of 50 stems (62%) without the navigation system. As to Type II fit, There are significantly more stems without the navigation system (26%) compared to with it (12%). There were better canal fills of the stems obtained by THA with CT-based navigation system both in proximal (94%) and distal sections (88%) of the femur compared to without the navigation system (proximal 88%/distal 82%) (p<0.05). Excellent radiographic fit and fill has been previously reported to potentially correlate with improved clinical outcomes. The stems obtained by THA with CT-based navigation system had a significantly better canal fit demonstrated by higher proportion of Type I and lower proportion of Type II fits, compared to without the navigation system. The stems with the navigation system had also significantly better proximal and distal canal fill

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is frequently performed as a salvage procedure for the acetabular fracture when posttraumatic osteoarthritis, posttraumatic avascular necrosis, or fixation failure with subluxation develop. Special considerations for this situation include previous surgical exposure with dense scar tissue, the type and location of implants, the location and amount of heterotopic ossification, indolent infection, previous sciatic nerve palsy, and the pathoanatomy of existing acetabular defect. These factors can influence the choice of surgical exposure and the reconstructive method. The outcomes of THA after acetabular fracture are generally less favorable than those of the nontraumatic degenerative arthritis. Reason for this high failure is the low mean age and the high activity level of the patient. Other important reasons for failure include the problem of acetabular bone deficiency and compromised bone quality. We evaluated the results of cementless THA in patient who had previous acetabular fracture. We also compared this result with those of patients with posttraumatic avascular necrosis of the femoral head. Forty-five consecutive cementless THAs were performed for the treatment of post-traumatic osteoarthritis after acetabular fracture between December 1993 and December 2008. Of these patients, 15 patients were died or lost to follow-up monitoring before the end of the minimum one year follow-up period. This left 30 patients (30 hips) as the subjects of our retrospective review. We evaluated the clinical and radiographic results of these patients and compared with the results of THA in patients with post-traumatic AVN of the femoral head which had without acetabular damage. Two hips required revision of the cup secondary to early migration of the acetabular cup (1 hip) and postoperative deep infection (1 hip). There was no significant difference in clinical and radiographic results between two groups except implanted acetabular component size and required bone graft (p<0.05). The Kaplan-Meier ten-year survival rate, with revision as the end-point, was 90% and 96.7% with loosening of acetabular component as the end-point. Our series suggested that compared with cemented components, uncemented sockets may improve the results of arthroplasty after previous acetabular fracture. In conclusion, cementless THA following acetabular fracture presents unique challenge to the surgeon, careful preoperative assessment and secure component fixation with proper bone grafting is essential to minimize problems

Second-generation metal-on-metal bearings have been used since the late 1980s as alternative bearings to eliminate aseptic loosening due to polyethylene wear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term results of a series of Metasul (Zimmer GmbH, Winterthur, Switzerland) metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty (THA). Between January 1993 and September 1996, 149 cementless THAs with a 28 mm Metasul articulation were performed in 111 consecutive patients. Implant survivorship was calculated and clinical and radiographic evaluations were performed on 82 hips still available for follow-up at a mean of 18 years postoperatively. Nine hips (6.0%) were revised. The cumulative probability of survival of the overall implant at 18 years postoperatively with revision for any reason as the end point, was 0.937 (95% confidence interval, 0.888 to 0.985). The cumulative probability of survival of Metasul with revision for any reason as the end point, was 0.956 (95% confidence interval, 0.916 to 0.997). Various degrees of radiolucencies and osteolysis were found proximally around the femoral components of 25 hips (20%). Cementless Metasul THA showed high survival at 18 years postoperatively

Background/Purpose. Total hip arthroplasties (THAs) with ceramic bearings are widely performed in young, active patients and thus, long-term outcome in these population is important. Moreover, clinical implication of noise, in which most studies focused on ‘squeaking’, remains controversial and one of concerns unsolved associated with the use of ceramic bearings. However, there is little literature regarding the long-term outcomes after THAs using these contemporary ceramic bearings in young patients. Therefore, we performed a long-term study with a minimum follow-up of . 1. 5 years after THAs using contemporary ceramic bearings in young patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) less than fifty. Materials and Methods. Among sixty patients (71 hips) with a mean age of 39.1 years, 7 patients (7 hips) died and 4 patients (4 hips) were lost before 15-year follow-up. The remaining 60 hips were included in this study with an average follow-up period of 16.3 years (range, 15 to 18). All patients underwent cementless THA using a prosthesis of identical design and a 28-mm third-generation alumina head by single surgeon. The clinical evaluations included the modified Harris hip score (HHS), history of dislocation and noise around the hip joint: Noise was classified into squeaking, clicking, grinding and popping and evaluated at each follow-up. Snapping was excluded through physical examination or ultrasonography. Radiographic analysis was performed regarding notching on the neck of femoral component, loosening and osteolysis. Ceramic fracture and survivorship free from revision were also evaluated. Results. The mean Harris hip score improved from 55.3 to 95.5 points (range, 83 to 100) at the time of the final follow-up. Seventeen patients (34.7%) reported noise around the hip joint: “squeaking” in one and “clicking” in 16 patients. Notching on the neck of femoral component suggesting impingement between neck and ceramic liner was demonstrated in 9 hips (15%) at average of 6.9 years postoperatively and located at 2 to 3.5 mm distal to edge of ceramic head. Although no chip fracture of ceramic ‘liner’ occurred, notching was associated with “clicking” sound (p<0.01). One patient who reported clicking sound underwent a revision THA because of ceramic ‘head’ fracture. Loosening, osteolysis or dislocation was not observed in any hip and survivorship free from revision at 5 years was 98%. Conclusion. Cementless THAs using 28-mm contemporary alumina ceramic head demonstrated excellent long-term outcome in young, active patients with ONFH. Despite this encouraging result, however, we remain concerned about ‘clicking’ sound, because we did observe it associated with notching on the neck of stem. Acknowledgement. This work was supported by Institute for Information & communications Technology Promotion (IITP) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (#B0101-14-1081)

Ceramic-on-ceramic bearings provide a solution to the osteolysis seen with traditional metal-on-polyethylene bearings. Sporadic reports of ceramic breakage and squeaking concern some surgeons and this bearing combination can show in vivo signs of edge loading wear which was not predicted from in vitro studies. Taper damage or debris in the taper between the ceramic and metal may lead to breakage of either a ceramic head or insert. Fastidious surgical technique may help to minimise the risk of ceramic breakage. Squeaking is usually a benign complication, most frequently occurring when the hip is fully flexed. Rarely, it can occur with each step of walking when it can be sufficiently troublesome to require revision surgery. The etiology of squeaking is multifactorial origin. Taller, heavier and younger patients with higher activity levels are more prone to hips that squeak. Cup version and inclination are also relevant factors. Fifty-five ceramic bearings revised at our center were collected over 12 years. Median time to revision was 2.7 years. Forty-six (84%) cases had edge loading wear. The median femoral head wear volume overall was 0.2mm. 3. /yr, for anterosuperior edge loading was 2.0mm. 3. /yr, and the median volumetric wear rate for posterior edge loading was 0.15mm. 3. /yr (p=0.005). Osteolysis following metal-on-polyethylene total hip arthroplasty (THA) is well reported. Earlier generation ceramic-on-ceramic bearings did produce some osteolysis, but in flawed implants. As 3rd and now 4th generation ceramic THAs come into mid- and long-term service, the orthopaedic community has begun to see reports of high survival rates and very low incidence of osteolysis in these bearings. The technique used by radiologists for identifying the nature of lesions on Computed Tomography (CT) scan is the Hounsfield score which will identify the density of the tissue within the lucent area. Commonly the radiologist will have no access to previous imaging, especially pre-operative imaging if a long time has elapsed. With such a low incidence of osteolysis in this patient group, what, then, should a surgeon do on receiving a CT report on a ceramic-on-ceramic THA, which states there is osteolysis? This retrospective review aims to determine the accuracy of CT in identifying true osteolysis in a cohort of long-term 3rd generation ceramic-on-ceramic uncemented hip arthroplasties in our department. Methods. Pelvic CT scans were performed on the first 27 patients from a cohort of 301 patients undergoing 15-year review with 3rd generation alumina-alumina cementless THAs. The average follow-up was 15 years (15–17). The CT scans were reviewed against pre-operative and post-operative radiographs and reviewed by a second musculoskeletal specialist radiologist. Results. Eleven of the CT scans were reported to show acetabular osteolysis, two reported osteolysis or possible pre-existing cyst and one reported a definitive pre-existing cyst. After review of previous imaging including pre-operative radiographs, eleven of the thirteen patients initially reported to have osteolysis were found to have pre-existing cysts or geodes in the same size and position as the reported osteolysis, and a further patient had spot-welds with stress-shielding. One patient with evidence of true osteolysis awaits aspiration or biopsy to determine if he has evidence of ceramic wear or metallosis. Conclusions. Reports of osteolysis on CT should be interpreted with care in modern ceramic-on-ceramic THA to prevent unnecessary revision. Further imaging and investigations may be necessary to exclude other conditions such as geodes, or stress shielding which are frequently confused with osteolysis on CT scans

Introduction. Osteloysis following metal-on-UHMW polyethylene Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) is well reported, as is lack of osteolysis following Ceramic-on-Ceramic (CoC)THA. Early ceramic failures did report some osteolysis, but in flawed implants. As 3rd and now 4th generation ceramic THAs come into mid- and long-term use, the orthopaedic community has begun to see reports of high survival rates and very low incidence of osteolysis in these bearings. Osteolysis reported after 3rd generation CoC THA often included metallosis due to neck rim impingement. In our department we have revised only 2 hips in over 6000 CoC THAs for osteolysis. Both had evidence of metallosis as well as ceramic wear. The technique used by Radiologists for identifying the nature of lesions on CT is the Hounsfield score which will identify the density of the tissue within the lucent area. It is common for radiologist to have no access to previous imaging, especially pre-operative imaging if a long time has elapsed. With such a low incidence of osteolysis in this patient group, what, then, should a surgeon do on receiving a CT report on a ceramic-on-ceramic THA which states there is osteolysis? Revision of such implants in elderly patients has a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Objectives. This retrospective review aims to determine the accuracy of CT in identifying true osteolysis in a cohort of long-term third generation ceramic-on-ceramic uncemented hip arthroplasties in our department. Methods. Pelvic CT scans were performed on the first 27 patients from a cohort of 301 patients undergoing 15 year review with 3rd generation alumina-alumina cementless THAs. The average follow-up was 15 years (15–17). The CT scans were reviewed against pre-operative and post-operative radiographs and reviewed by a second musculoskeletal specialist radiologist. Results. Eleven of the CTscans were reported to show acetabular osteolysis, two reported osteolysis or possible pre-existing cyst and one reported a definitive pre-existing cyst. After review of previous imaging including pre-operative radiographs, eleven of the thirteen patients initially reported to have osteolysis were found to have pre-existing cysts or geodes in the same size and position as the reported osteolysis, and a further patient had spot-welds with stress-shielding. One patient with evidence of true osteolysis awaits aspiration or biopsy to determine if he has evidence of ceramic wear or metallosis. Conclusions. Reports of osteolysis on CT should be interpreted with care in modern ceramic-on-ceramic THA to prevent unnecessary revision. Further imaging and investigations may be necessary to exclude other conditions such as geodes, or stress shielding which are frequently confused with osteolysis on CT scans

Introduction. In order to reduce polyethylene wear and incidence of osteolysis, and improve the long-term durability of total hip arthroplasty (THA), highly cross-linked polyethylene was introduced for clinical use in substitution for conventional polyethylene. We performed 35 cementless THAs between December 2000 and February 2002, and cross-linked polyethylene was used in these surgeries. The purpose of this study is to research linear wear rate of these hips, and to find the risk factor for high wear rate. Patients and Methods. 32 hips (26 patients) among the 35 could be evaluated at more than 10 years postoperatively. One hip required reoperations due to infection at 8 years postoperatively, and two were lost to followup in less than 10 years. There were 2 males and 24 females, and the observation period was 11.4 years in average (range 10?13 years). The age at the time of operation was 49.4 years in average (range 24?67 years), and body mass index was 22.4 in average (15?34). We used AHFIX total hip prostheses (KYOCERA Medical Corporation) for both acetabular and femoral replacement, and 22 mm Zirconia head was used in all cases. The median cup diameter was 46 mm (range 42?50). Osteolysis and loosening of the implant was evaluated on the anteroposterior radiograph of the hip. Using software for wear measurement (Hip Analysis Suite), linear wear rate and cup inclination angle were measured. Correlation between linear wear rate and age, BMI, cup inclination angle, and cup diameter was investigated using correlation coefficient. Results. Osteolysis and loosening were not found in any cases on the final radiograph. Cup inclination angle was 44.7±4.6 degree, and linear wear rate was 0.034±0.019 mm/y in average. No statistical correlation was found between linear wear rate and age, BMI, cup inclination angle, and cup diameter. Discussion. Long-term clinical performance of cross-linked polyethylene is rarely reported, although it is considered to have excellent wear resistance, and reduces the risk of osteolysis and loosening. Linear wear rate in this series was relatively low, and osteolysis and loosening were not observed. It was demonstrated that cross-linked polyethylene had excellent wear resistance when used in combination with 22 mm zirconia head, and observed for more than 10 years

Objectives. The purpose of the present study was to describe the long-term results of THA for ONFH in patients with SLE. Methods. From 1994–2001, 18 cementless THAs (14 SLE patients) were included in the present study. Four hips (3 patients) were lost to follow-up. The remaining 14 hips (11 patients) were available for evaluation. The mean follow-up period was 13.1(range, 10.0–16.4) years. The follow-up rate was 77.8%. The mean age at the time of surgery was 35.2 (range, 27.4–51.0) years. Results. Mean preoperative Harris Hip Score was 37.4 (range, 17.1–63.1) points, which improved to 94.5 (range, 73.9–100) points at final follow-up. Two hips had dislocation and were treated successfully with closed reduction. No patient in this study group had deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. One hip had peroneal nerve palsy. No superficial or deep wound infection was observed. Two hips of 2 patients required reoperation due to dislodgement of a polyethylene insert. With revision of the acetabular component for any reason considered to be a failure, the 10-year survival rate was 93% (95% CI, 0.79–1). Conclusion. We have reported the long-term results of THA for ONFH with SLE. Although several reports have noted that the results of THA for ONFH are less favourable than those for osteoarthritis, the long-term results of THA for ONFH with SLE were acceptable. THA is an acceptable option for patients with advanced-stage or an extended region of ONFH

Introduction. Acute infection following Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) is a serious complication. It is commonly treated by irrigation and debridement (I&D) with component retention (exchange only the mobile parts of the joint - head and liner). However, the reported re-infection rate with the use of this approach remains high. We are reporting our experience in using single - stage revision arthroplasty in treating acute infection of THA. We hypothesized that the infection control rate after immediate early revision for acute infection of cementless implants is better than has been reported for I&D with exchange of mobile parts. Methods. From our infection arthroplasty database, we reviewed the outcome of 19 patients who had an acute infection (within 6 weeks) of cementless THA. Our management strategy includes I&D and single-stage (direct-exchange) revision arthroplasty followed by 6 weeks course of culture specific oral antibiotics. Results. Patients' average age was 64 year (39–85), M:F = 11:8. There were 13 primary and 6 revision cementless THAs. Average time from the index operation to the development of clinical symptoms of infection was 18 days (4–41). 14 patients (73.7%) were successfully treated with single stage revision strategy with no evidence of re-infection at 64.3 (32–89) months of follow up. 5 patients (26.3%) developed re-infection requiring two stage-revision surgery. Discussion. Our results showed that single stage revision strategy has a better outcome in treating acute infection after THR than the outcomes reported for I&D with component retention. When faced with acute infection of a cementless implant, early implant exchange prior to ingrowth should be considered

Introduction:. Although cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA) is well accepted, the optimal femoral component design remains unknown. Among early complications, loosening and periprosthetic fracture persist and are related to implant design. The purpose of this study is to compare the anatomic fit and early subsidence of two different stem designs: a modern, short taper-wedge design and a traditional fit-and-fill design. Methods:. A retrospective cohort study of 129 consecutive cementless THAs using two different femoral stems was performed. A modern taper-wedge stem was used in 65 hips and a traditional proximal fit-and-fill stem was used in 64 hips. Radiographic analysis was performed at preoperative, immediate postoperative and 1-month postoperative intervals. The radiographic parameters of bone morphology via the canal-flare index, implant subsidence at 1 month, sagittal alignment, and the “anatomic fit” metrics of canal fill and associated gaps were measured and recorded. Results:. There were no differences between groups in patient demographics (p > 0.4), and in bone morphology via the canal-flare index (p = 0.6) with numbers available. The mean subsidence was less in the taper-wedge design at 0.27 mm compared to 1.1 mm in the fit-and-fill stem (p < 0.0001). Subsidence greater than 2 mm occurred in 26 of 64 fit-and-fill stems (41%) compared to 1 of 65 taper-wedge implants (1.5%). The percentage fill at all levels measured was greater in the taper-wedge design (p < 0.0001). The taper-wedge design was inserted a mean of 2.7° sagittal extension compared to 0.4° in the fit-and-fill design (p < 0.0001). Conclusion:. Despite being shorter in length, the taper-wedge design demonstrates greater axial stability and less subsidence compared to a traditional fit-and-fill stem. The optimized proximal femoral fit inherent in this anatomic-based taper-wedge design is likely responsible for the minimal subsidence. The clinical implication of greater extension in the sagittal plane is unknown and longer-term clinical follow up is warranted