Aims

The aims of this study were to determine the incidence and factors for developing periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following hemiarthroplasty (HA) for hip fracture, and to evaluate treatment outcome and identify factors associated with treatment outcome.

Introduction. Custom flanged acetabular components (CFAC) have been shown to be effective in treating complex acetabular reconstructions in revision total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, the specific patient factors and CFAC design characteristics that affect the overall survivorship remain unclear. Once the surgeon opts to follow this treatment pathway, numerous decisions need to be made during the pre-operative design phase and during implantation, which may influence the ultimate success of CFAC. The goal of this study was to retrospectively review the entire cohort of CFAC cases performed at a large volume institution and to identify any patient, surgeon, or design factors that may be related to the long-term survival of these prostheses. Methods. We reviewed 96 CFAC cases performed in 91 patients between 2004 and 2017, from which 36 variables were collected spanning patient demographics, pre-operative clinical and radiographic features, intraoperative information, and implant design characteristics. Patient demographics and relevant clinical features were collected from individual medical records. Radiographic review included analysis of pre-operative radiographs, computer tomographic (CT) scans, and serial post-operative radiographs. Radiographic failure was defined as loosening or gross migration as determined by a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. CFAC implant design characteristics and intra-operative features were collected from the design record, surgical record and post-operative radiograph for each case respectively. Two sets of statistical analyses were performed with this dataset. First, univariate analyses were performed for each variable, comprising of a Pearson chi-square test for categorical variables and an independent t-test for continuous variables. Second, a random forest supervised machine learning method was applied to identify the most influential variables within the dataset, which were then used to perform a bivariable logistic regression to generate odds ratios. Statistical significance for this study was set at p < 0.05. Results. Radiographic failures occurred in 22/96 (23%) of cases with 12/96 (13%) undergoing re-revision (time to revision: Mean 25.1 months; Range: 3 – 84, SD 26.5). No relationship between radiographic failure and the preoperative Paprosky grade or the presence of a discontinuity was observed. The rate of radiographic failure (loosening and/or migration) was inversely associated with age, with increased failure seen in patients who were younger at the time of surgery; (mean age: 54.4±13.0 v. 64.8±11.4 years; p=0.007). Patients whose initial diagnosis was not osteoarthritis were more likely to fail than those with primary OA (OR: 3.79, p=0.0173) and were younger at the time of surgery (p=0.013). The presence of ischial screws from previous surgery (28%) was also an independent risk factor for failure (OR: 3.11, p=0.021). Random forest analysis identified the age at index procedure and the location of the inferior-most ischial screw as the most sensitive predictors of radiographic failure. As patient age at the time of surgery increased, there was subsequent a decreased rate of failure (OR: 0.93 odds ratio per year, p =0.005). When the bottom-most ischial screw was within the top half of the obturator foramen, it was 4 times more likely to fail than when this screw was located at the bottom half of the obturator foramen (OR = 3.98, p=0.046) (p < 0.05). Discussion and Conclusion. This study was able to identify the patient and design variables predictive of survival of CFAC prostheses used in complex revision THA. Younger patients (<55years) are at increased risk for failure either due to a more active lifestyle or because they have a non-OA primary diagnosis that predisposes them to earlier THA. Compromised ischial bone stock or inadequate ischial fixation both had a significant impact on CFAC implant survivorship as both the presence of pre-CFAC ischial screw fixation and lack of inferior ischial fixation correlated with increased rate of failure. These findings highlight the importance of rigid ischial fixation sufficient to resist the high pull-out forces generated during activities of daily living

Femoroacetabular impingement causes pain in the hip in young adults and may predispose to the development of osteoarthritis. Genetic factors are important in the aetiology of osteoarthritis of the hip and may have a role in that of femoroacetabular impingement. We compared 96 siblings of 64 patients treated for primary impingement with a spouse control group of 77 individuals. All the subjects were screened clinically and radiologically using a standardised protocol for the presence of cam and pincer deformities and osteoarthritis. The siblings of those patients with a cam deformity had a relative risk of 2.8 of having the same deformity (66 of 160 siblings hips versus 23 of 154 control hips, p < 0.00001). The siblings of those patients with a pincer deformity had a relative risk of 2.0 of having the same deformity (43 of 116 sibling hips versus 29 of 154 control hips, p = 0.001). Bilateral deformity occurred more often in the siblings (42 of 96 siblings versus 13 of 77 control subjects, relative risk 2.6, p = 0.0002). The prevalence of clinical features in those hips with abnormal morphology was also greater in the sibling group compared with the control group (41 of 109 sibling hips versus 7 of 46 control hips, relative risk 2.5, p = 0.007). In 11 sibling hips there was grade-2 osteoarthritis according to Kellgren and Lawrence versus none in the control group (p = 0.002). Genetic influences are important in the aetiology of primary femoroacetabular impingement. This risk appears to be manifested through not only abnormal joint morphology, but also through other factors which may modulate progression of the disease

As adverse events related to metal on metal hip arthroplasty have been better understood, there has been increased interest in toxicity related to the high circulating levels of cobalt ions. However, distinguishing true toxicity from benign elevations in cobalt levels can be challenging. The purpose of this review is to examine the use of cobalt alloys in total hip arthroplasty, to review the methods of measuring circulating cobalt levels, to define a level of cobalt which is considered pathological and to review the pathophysiology, risk factors and treatment of cobalt toxicity. To the best of our knowledge, there are 18 published cases where cobalt metal ion toxicity has been attributed to the use of cobalt-chromium alloys in hip arthroplasty. Of these cases, the great majority reported systemic toxic reactions at serum cobalt levels more than 100 μg/L. This review highlights some of the clinical features of cobalt toxicity, with the goal that early awareness may decrease the risk factors for the development of cobalt toxicity and/or reduce its severity. Take home message: Severe adverse events can arise from the release of cobalt from metal-on-metal arthroplasties, and as such, orthopaedic surgeons should not only be aware of the presenting problems, but also have the knowledge to treat appropriately. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:14–20

Introduction. MAVRIC-SL (MVSL), a multi-spectral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence [1] used for visualization of tissues near hip arthroplasty, can be accelerated by a short calibration scan [2], permitting an isotropic acquisition in a clinically feasible scan time. Decreasing the repetition time (TR) can further reduce scan time. This study evaluated the feasibility of acquiring isotropic MAVRIC-SL images (MVISO) and reduced TR isotropic MAVRIC-SL images (TRMVISO) of hip arthroplasties to elucidate the added clinical benefit of such acquisitions. Methods. Following IRB approval, MVSL, MVISO and TRMVISO images were acquired for 93 hip arthroplasties (84 subjects). Images were reviewed by 2 radiologists to evaluate clinical and image quality features. Comparison of features between scanning sequences was assessed by mixed-effects ordinal logistic regression and odds ratios (OR). Inter/intra-rater agreement was determined using Gwet's agreement coefficient (AC). Results. A calibration scan permitted acquisition of isotropic image sets in under 8 minutes. MVISO and TRMVISO had decreased blurring and improved visualization of the synovium and periprosthetic bone as compared to MVSL (p<0.001, Fig. 1). MVISO and TRMVISO improved image quality features over MVSL, OR range: 1 to 968. MVISO acquisitions also had better image quality, visualization of synovium and bone, lesion conspicuity, and decreased blurring than TRMVISO (p<0.032). Substantial to perfect (0.61 ≥ AC ≥ 1.0) agreement was found for 86% of factors evaluated by the 2 readers. Conclusions. The isotropic acquisitions displayed clinically relevant features better than MVSL, with notable improvement of blurring and overall image quality. The TRMVISO altered the image contrast and contributed to poorer visualization of synovial reactions as compared to MVISO. The study demonstrated that isotropic MAVRIC scans are clinically feasible, and that MVISO scans added clinical value through improved visualization by reducing blurring. For any tables or figures, please contact the authors directly

Aims

Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is an established treatment for acetabular dysplasia. It has also been proposed as a treatment for patients with acetabular retroversion. By reviewing a large cohort, we aimed to test whether outcome is equivalent for both types of morphology and identify factors that influenced outcome.

Aims

The primary aim was to determine the influence of COVID-19 on 30-day mortality following hip fracture. Secondary aims were to determine predictors of COVID-19 status on presentation and later in the admission; the rate of hospital acquired COVID-19; and the predictive value of negative swabs on admission.

The hip joint is commonly involved in multiple epiphyseal dysplasia and patients may require total hip replacement before the age of 30 years. We retrospectively reviewed nine patients (16 hips) from four families. The diagnosis of multiple epiphyseal dysplasia was based on a family history, genetic counselling, clinical features and radiological findings. The mean age at surgery was 32 years (17 to 63), with a mean follow-up of 15.9 years (5.5 to 24). Of the 16 hips, ten required revision at a mean of 12.5 years (5 to 15) consisting of complete revision of the acetabular component in three hips and isolated exchange of the liner in seven. No femoral component has loosened or required revision during the period of follow-up. With revision for any reason, the 15-year survival was only 11.4% (95% confidence interval 1.4 to 21.4). However, when considering revision of the acetabular shell in isolation the survival at ten years was 93.7% (95% confidence interval 87.7 to 99.7), reducing to 76.7% (95% confidence interval 87.7 to 98.7) at 15 and 20 years, respectively

Venous ulceration is a chronic disabling complication of deep-vein thrombosis. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of venous leg ulcers five years or more after total hip replacement (THR) and to investigate some of the clinical features associated with their development. We carried out a postal survey of all patients who had undergone a THR 5 to 12 years previously. Replies from 816 patients showed that 66 (8.1%) had a history of leg ulcers. The prevalence of active ulceration was 2.6% and 43 patients (5.3%) reported developing ulceration since their hip replacement. A clinical review determined that 31 (3.8%) of these were true venous ulcers. The ulcers occurred more commonly on the operated side and developed at a mean of 5.8 years (18 months to 12 years) after the first arthroplasty. A mean of 1.9 arthroplasties (1 to 5) (primary and revision) were carried out before the ulcers appeared. The overall incidence of ulcers was similar to that in the general population

Aims

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many patients continue to require urgent surgery for hip fractures. However, the impact of COVID-19 on perioperative outcomes in these high-risk patients remains unknown. The objectives of this study were to establish the effects of COVID-19 on perioperative morbidity and mortality, and determine any risk factors for increased mortality in patients with COVID-19 undergoing hip fracture surgery.

Aims

A borderline dysplastic hip can behave as either stable or unstable and this makes surgical decision making challenging. While an unstable hip may be best treated by acetabular reorientation, stable hips can be treated arthroscopically. Several imaging parameters can help to identify the appropriate treatment, including the Femoro-Epiphyseal Acetabular Roof (FEAR) index, measured on plain radiographs. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and the sensitivity of FEAR index on MRI compared with its radiological measurement.

Aims

Custom flange acetabular components (CFACs) are a patient-specific option for addressing large acetabular defects at revision total hip arthroplasty (THA), but patient and implant characteristics that affect survivorship remain unknown. This study aimed to identify patient and design factors related to survivorship.

Vascular injuries during total hip arthroplasty (THA) are rare but when they occur, have serious consequences. These have traditionally been managed with open exploration and repair, but more recently there has been a trend towards percutaneous endovascular management.

We performed a systematic review of the literature to assess if this change in trend has led to an improvement in the overall reported rates of morbidity and mortality during the last 22 years in comparison with the reviews of the literature published previously.

We found a total of 61 articles describing 138 vascular injuries in 124 patients. Injuries because of a laceration were the most prevalent (n = 51, 44%) and the most common presenting feature, when recorded, was bleeding (n = 41, 53.3%). Delay in diagnosis was associated with the type of vascular lesion (p < 0.001) and the clinical presentation (p = 0.002).

Open exploration and repair was the most common form of management, however percutaneous endovascular intervention was used in one third of the injuries and more constantly during the last 13 years.

The main overall reported complications included death (n = 9, 7.3%), amputation (n = 2, 1.6%), and persistent ischaemia (n = 9, 7.3%). When compared with previous reviews there was a similar rate of mortality but lower rates of amputation and permanent disability, especially in patients managed by endovascular strategies.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1447–55.

Aim and Methods

The goals of this study were to define the risk factors, nature, chronology, and treatment strategies adopted for periprosthetic femoral fractures in 32 644 primary total hip arthroplasties (THAs).

Deficiency of the abductor mechanism is a well-recognised cause of pain and limping after total hip replacement (THR). This can be found incidentally at the time of surgery, or it may arise as a result of damage to the superior gluteal nerve intra-operatively, or after surgery owing to mechanical failure of the abductor muscle repair or its detachment from the greater trochanter. The incidence of abductor failure has been reported as high as 20% in some studies. The management of this condition remains a dilemma for the treating surgeon. We review the current state of knowledge concerning post-THR abductor deficiency, including the aetiology, diagnosis and management, and the outcomes of surgery for this condition.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:343–7.

Implantation of a large-diameter femoral head prosthesis with a metal-on-metal bearing surface reduces the risk of dislocation, increases the range of movement, minimises the risk of impingement and, in theory, results in little wear.

Between February 2004 and March 2007 we implanted 100 consecutive total hip replacements with a metal-on-metal bearing and a large femoral head into 92 patients. There were 51 men and 41 women with a mean age of 50 years (18 to 70) at the time of surgery.

Outcome was assessed using the Western Ontario McMaster University osteoarthritis index and the Harris hip score as well as the Devane activity score. These all improved significantly (p < 0.0001). At the last follow-up there were no cases of dislocation, no impingement, a good range of movement and no osteolysis, but seven revisions, two for infection and five for aseptic loosening. The probability of groin pain increased if the other acetabular component inclination exceeded 50° (p = 0.0007). At 4.8 years of follow-up, the projected survival of the Durom acetabular component, with revision for any reason, was 92.4% (sd 2.8) (95% confidence interval 89.6 to 95.2).

The design of the component made it difficult both to orientate and seat, which when combined with a poor porous coating, produced unpredictable fixation and a low survival at five years.

In patients with severe quadriplegic cerebral palsy and painful hip dislocation proximal femoral resection arthroplasty can reduce pain, but the risk of heterotopic ossification is significant. We present a surgical technique of autologous capping of the femoral stump in order to reduce this risk, using the resected femoral head as the graft.

A retrospective study of 31 patients (43 hips) who had undergone proximal femoral resection arthroplasty with (29 hips) and without autologous capping (14 hips) was undertaken. Heterotopic ossification was less frequent in patients with autologous capping, and a more predictable pattern of bony overgrowth was found.

For a selected group of non-ambulatory patients with long-standing painful dislocation of the hip, we recommend femoral resection arthroplasty over more complicated reconstructive operations. The risk of heterotopic ossification, which is a major disadvantage of this operation, is reduced by autologous capping.