INTRODUCTION. Adverse local tissue reactions (ALTR) and elevated serum metal ion levels secondary to fretting and corrosion at head-neck junctions in modular total hip arthroplasty (THA) designs have raised concern in recent years. Factors implicated in these processes include trunnion geometry, head-trunnion material couple, femoral head diameter, head length, force of head impaction at the time of surgery, and length of implantation. Our understanding of fretting and corrosion in vivo is based largely on the analysis of retrieved prostheses explanted for reasons related to clinical failure. Little is known about the natural history of head-neck tapers in well-functioning total hip replacements. We identified ten well-functioning THA prostheses retrieved at autopsy. We sought to determine the pull-off strength required for disassembly and to characterize fretting and corrosion apparent at the head-neck junctions of THAs that had been functioning appropriately in vivo. METHODS. Ten cobalt-chromium femoral stems and engaged cobalt-chromium femoral heads were retrieved at autopsy from 9 patients, after a mean length of implantation (LOI) of 11.3 ± 8 years (range 1.9–28.5). Trunnion design and material, femoral head material, size, and length, LOI, and patient sex were recorded (Table 1). Femoral heads were pulled off on a uniaxial load frame according to ASTM standards under displacement control at a rate of 0.05mm/s until the femoral head was fully disengaged from the trunnion. Mating surfaces were gently cleaned with 41% isopropyl alcohol to remove any extraneous debris. Femoral trunnions and head tapers were examined under a stereomicroscope by two independent graders to assess presence and severity of fretting and corrosion (method previously established). Trunnions and tapers were divided into 8 regions: anterior, medial, posterior, and lateral in both proximal and distal zones. Minimum possible damage score per hip was 32 (indicating pristine surfaces). The total possible score per hip was 128 (2 damage modes × 2 mating surfaces × 8 regions × max score of 4 per region). RESULTS. Mean pull-off force among all retrievals was 2446 ± 841 N (1655 – 4246 N). Mean pull-off force for 14/16 tapers (2998 ± 1298 N) was larger than for 12/14 tapers (2210 ± 531 N). Seven retrievals (70%) had no evidence of damage on either the stem or head component (Fig. 1). Three retrievals showed evidence of damage: (1) corrosion in one zone of the femoral head taper (score 33); (2) a circumferential ring of fretting in one zone of the stem trunnion (score 36); (3) circumferential rings of minor fretting in two regions of the stem trunnion (score 40). LOI for damaged retrievals was 16.3 ± 6 years, longer than that for undamaged retrievals (9.1 ± 9.1 years). CONCLUSION. THAs that had been well-functioning in vivo showed little evidence of fretting and corrosion. The presence of minor fretting and corrosion correlated with increased LOI. Mean pull-off force was 2446 +/- 841 N among the complete sample of ten THAs. Larger tapers were associated with greater average pull-off strength. Further investigation is required in order to clarify the clinical implications of these results

Introduction. The process of wear and corrosion at the head-neck junction of a total hip replacement is initiated when the femoral head and stem are joined together during surgery. To date, the effects of the surface topography of the femoral head and metal stem on the contact mechanics during assembly and thus on tribology and fretting corrosion during service life of the implant are not well understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the influence of the surface topography of the metal stem taper on contact mechanics and wear during assembly of the head-neck junction using Finite Element models. Materials and Methods. 2D axisymmetric Finite Element models were developed consisting of a simplified head-neck junction incorporating the surface topography of a threaded stem taper to investigate axial assembly with 1 kN. Subsequently, a base model and three modifications of the base model in terms of profile peak height and plateau width of the stem taper topography and femoral head taper angle were calculated. To account for the wear process during assembly a law based on the Archard equation was implemented. Femoral head was modeled as ceramic (linear-elastic), taper material was either modeled as titanium, stainless steel or cobalt-chromium (all elastic-plastic). Wear volume, contact area, taper subsidence, equivalent plastic strain, von Mises stress, engagement length and crevice width was analyzed. Results. Titanium tapers showed largest wear volume throughout all simulations, followed by stainless steel and cobalt-chromium. A larger head taper angle resulted in an increase of the wear volume for all taper materials while the increase of the plateau width resulted in a decrease of the wear volume. Taper subsidence, von Mises stress and equivalent plastic strain followed the same trends. Contact area was largest for the models with a large plateau width for all taper materials. Other taper parameters had little effect on contact area. A pure increase of the angular mismatch (AM) resulted in the strongest decrease of the engagement length, while a combined increase of the AM and plateau width showed only a moderate decrease. The smallest effect concerning the engagement length was found when a combined increase of the profile peak height and AM was simulated. Crevice width was largest for a pure increase of the AM and for a combined increase of the AM and profile peak height for all taper materials. Discussion. This study showed that depending on the surface topography and material of the stem taper, wear and taper mechanics during assembly could be affected. For the examined surface topographies wear is distinctively elevated by increasing the AM and the profile peak height due to the resulting higher mechanical loading. More parameter studies under in vivo loading and the study of other taper surface parameters like the peak-to-peak distance have to be conducted to get a deeper insight into taper mechanics and wear effects. However, this study demonstrates the importance of good manufacturing practice of components for hip replacement systems to guarantee reproducible taper mechanics. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly

Introduction. Numerous factors have been hypothesized as contributing to mechanically-assisted corrosion at the head-neck junction of total hip prostheses. While variables attributable to the implant and the patient are amenable to investigation, parameters describing assembly of the component parts can be difficult to determine. Nonetheless, increasing evidence suggests that the manner of intraoperative assembly of modular components plays a critical role in the fretting and corrosion of modular implants. This study was undertaken to measure the magnitude and direction of the impaction forces applied by surgeons in assembling modular head-neck junctions under operative conditions where both the access and visibility of the prosthesis may potentially compromise component fixation. Methods. A surrogate consisting of the lower limb with overlying soft tissue was developed to simulate THR performed via a 10cm incision using the posterior approach. The surrogate was modified to match the resistance of the body to retraction of the incision, mobilization of the femur and hammering of the implanted femoral component. An instrumented femoral stem (SL PLUS) was surgically implanted into the bone after attachment of 3 miniature accelerometers (Dytran Inc) in an orthogonal array to the proximal surface of the prosthesis. A 32mm cobalt chrome femoral head was mounted on the trunnion (12/14 taper, machined) of the femoral stem. 15 Board-certified and trainee surgeons replicated their surgical technique in exposing the femur and impacting the modular head on the tapered trunnion. Impaction was performed using an instrumented hammer (5000 Lbf Dytran impact hammer) that provided measurements of the magnitude and temporal variation of the impact force. The components of force acting along the axis aof the neck and in the AP and ML directions were continuously samples using the accelerometers. Results. For all surgeons, the average value of the peak impaction force was 3765±1094N (range: 2358 to 6225N). Head impact was delivered in an average direction of 24.4±7.5 degrees more vertical than the trunnion axis, though this value varies from 14 to 43 degrees between individual surgeons. On average, the off-axis force perpendicular to the trunnion axis was 1586±736N, however, this value ranged from 634 to 2895N with peak loading of both the head and the implant in varus. Almost all of the applied impact was directed within 10 degrees of the mid-plane of the stem (average deviation: 2.5±5.9 degrees of with only a small force directed anteriorly or posteriorly (average force: 140±396N, anterior). The variability in the magnitude and direction of the impaction force was not associated with the level of training or the surgical experience of the participants (p>0.05). Conclusions. This study shows that large off-axis forces are developed during manual impaction of modular heads onto stem trunnions via the posterior approach. The variation in magnitude and direction of these forces varies between individual surgeons and is not systematically related to the training or experience of each surgeon in joint replacement. This variability in intraoperative assembly of head-neck junctions may contribute to the severity and incidence of mechanically assisted corrosion in total hip replacement

It has been reported that 60-85% of patients who undergo PAO have concomitant intraarticular pathology that cannot be addressed with PAO alone. Currently, there are limited diagnostic tools to determine which patients would benefit from hip arthroscopy at the time of PAO to address intra-articular pathology. This study aims to see if preoperative PROMs scores measured by IHOT-33 scores have predictive value in whether intra-articular pathology is addressed during PAO + scope. The secondary aim is to see how often surgeons at high-volume hip preservation centers address intra-articular pathology if a scope is performed during the same anesthesia event. A randomized, prospective Multicenter trial was performed on patients who underwent PAO and hip arthroscopy to treat hip dysplasia from 2019 to 2020. Preoperative PROMs and intraoperative findings and procedures were recorded and analyzed. A total of 75 patients, 84% Female, and 16% male, with an average age of 27 years old, were included in the study. Patients were randomized to have PAO alone 34 patients vs. PAO + arthroscopy 41 patients during the same anesthesia event. The procedures performed, including types of labral procedures and chondroplasty procedures, were recorded. Additionally, a two-sided student T-test was used to evaluate the difference in means of preoperative IHOT score among patients for whom a labral procedure was performed versus no labral procedure. A total of 82% of patients had an intra-articular procedure performed at the time of hip arthroscopy. 68% of patients who had PAO + arthroscopy had a labral procedure performed. The most common labral procedure was a labral refixation which was performed in 78% of patients who had a labral procedure performed. Femoral head-neck junction chondroplasty was performed in 51% of patients who had an intra-articular procedure performed. The mean IHOT score was 29.3 in patients who had a labral procedure performed and 33.63 in those who did not have a labral procedure performed P- value=0.24. Our findings demonstrate preoperative IHOT-33 scores were not predictive in determining whether intra-articular labral pathology was addressed at the time of surgery. Additionally, we found that if labral pathology was addressed, labral refixation was the most common repair performed. This study also provides valuable information on what procedures high-volume hip preservation centers are performing when performing PAO + arthroscopy

INTRODUCTION. Understanding bone morphology is essential for successful computer assisted orthopaedic surgery, where definition of normal anatomical variations and abnormal morphological patterns can assist in surgical planning and evaluation of outcomes. The proximal femur was the anatomical target of the study described here. Orthopaedic surgeons have studied femoral geometry using 2D and 3D radiographs for precise fit of bone-implant with biological fixation. METHOD. The use of a Statistical Shape Model (SSM) is a promising venue for understanding bone morphologies and for deriving generic description of normal anatomy. A SSM uses measures of statistics on geometrical descriptions over a population. Current SSM construction methods, based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA), assume that shape morphologies can be modeled by pure point translations. Complicated morphologies, such as the femoral head-neck junction that has non-rigid components, can be poorly explained by PCA. In this work, we showed that PCA was impotent for processing complex deformations of the proximal femur and propose in its place our Principal Tangent Component (PTC) analysis. The new method used the Lie algebra of affine transformation matrices to perform simple computations, in tangent spaces, that corresponded to complex deformations on the data manifold. RESULTS. Both PCA and PTC were applied to the proximal femur dataset, from which selected femurs were reconstructed using the accumulation of components. PCA was deemed to have failed to reconstruct the surfaces because it required 65 components to achieve high coverage of the dataset. An important observation was that the head-neck junction was the most difficult section in the femur, requiring more components than other anatomical regions to reconstruct. This finding is consistent with the surgical observation that deformations occur in this junction for abnormal hip morphologies. PTC was successful in recovering 100% of the medical data using the only the first 5 components. We note that the encoding of deformation in PTC accounting for the performance increase. PTC outperformed PCA on the dataset in descriptive compactness. CONCLUSION. A standard SSM construction method was not adequate for analysing proximal femur surfaces because it could not easily model the complexity of non-rigid deformations at the head-neck junction. Principal tangent components, a novel method for using exponential maps on manifolds, accurately reconstructed the anatomical surfaces with very few components. Future work may include extending these concepts to describe joint diseases based on the shape of surfaces derived from volumetric data, such as CT or MRI. In conclusion, we have shown that differential geometry may be provide new insights to computational anatomy applications

Introduction:. Femoro-acetabular impingement reduces the range of motion of the hip joint and is thought to contribute to hip osteoarthritis. Surgical treatments attempt to restore hip motion through resection of bone at the head-neck junction. Due to the broad range of morphologies of FAI, the methodology of osteochondroplasty has been difficult to standardize and often results in unexpected outcomes, ranging from minimal improvement in ROM to excessive head resection with loss of cartilage and even neck fracture. In this study we test whether a standardized surgical plan based on a pre-determined resection path can restore normal anatomy and ROM to the CAM-impinging hip. Methods:. Computer models of twelve femora with classic signs of cam-type FAI were reconstructed from CT scans. The femoral shaft and neck were defined with longitudinal axes and the femoral head by a sphere of best fit. Boundaries defining the maximum extent of anterior resection were constructed: (i) superiorly and inferiorly along the anterior femoral neck at 12:30 and 5:30 on the clock face, approximating the locations of the vascularized synovial folds; (ii) around the head-neck junction along the edge of the articular cartilage; and (iii) at the base of the neck, perpendicular to the neck axis, 20–30 mm lateral to the articular edge. All four boundaries were used to form 3 alternative resection surfaces that provided resection depths of 2 mm (small), 4 mm (medium), and 6 mm (large) at the location of the cam lesion. Solid models of each femur after virtual osteochondroplasty were created by Boolean subtraction of each of the resection surfaces from the original femoral model. For each depth of neck resection, we measured the following: (i) alpha angle, (ii) anterior offset of the head-neck junction, and (iii) volume of bone removed. Before and after each resection, we also measured the maximum internal rotation of the hip in 90° flexion and 0° abduction. Results:. The initial alpha angles of the twelve femora averaged 63.8°, with corresponding average anterior head-neck offset of 5.8 mm and average maximum internal rotation of 16.3°. Impingement prevented one specimen from attaining the initial position of 90° flexion and 0° abduction. Implementation of pre-operative plans demonstrated that normal alpha angles (<55°) could be achieved using resection depths of 2 mm, 4 mm, and 6 mm (small: 48.8°, medium: 40.8°, large: 35.3°). The corresponding changes in internal rotation were +7.7° (to 24.0°; p < 0.001), +11.8° (to 28.1°; p < 0.001), and +14.7° (to 31°; p < 0.001), with anterior offsets of 8.0 mm, 9.9 mm, and 11.2 mm, respectively. The corresponding volume of resected bone ranged from 0.57 cm. 3. to 3.20 cm. 3. . Conclusions:. Our study shows that a standardized method of pre-operative planning may enable surgeons to restore normal hip ROM, alpha angles, and anterior offsets through pre-determined bony resection. This method shows how osteochondroplasty can be customized to each deformity, thus removing only the necessary amount of bone to correct each abnormality. We believe implementation of our boundaries and method will enable surgeons to consistently and quantitatively reproduce and teach osteochondroplasty, and that this method is readily adaptable to computerized machining of the femur

In 12 patients, we measured the oxygen concentration in the femoral head-neck junction during hip resurfacing through the anterolateral approach. This was compared with previous measurements made for the posterior approach. For the anterolateral approach, the oxygen concentration was found to be highly dependent upon the position of the leg, which was adjusted during surgery to provide exposure to the acetabulum and femoral head. Gross external rotation of the hip gave a significant decrease in oxygenation of the femoral head. Straightening the limb led to recovery in oxygen concentration, indicating that the blood supply was maintained. The oxygen concentration at the end of the procedure was not significantly different from that at the start. The anterolateral approach appears to produce less disruption to the blood flow in the femoral head-neck junction than the posterior approach for patients undergoing hip resurfacing. This may be reflected subsequently in a lower incidence of fracture of the femoral neck and avascular necrosis

Introduction. Relative motion at the modular head-neck junction of hip prostheses can lead to severe surface damage through mechanically-assisted corrosion. One factor affecting the mechanical performance of modular junctions is the frictional resistance of the mating surfaces to relative motion. Low friction increasing forces normal to the head-neck interface, leading to a lower threshold for slipping during weight-bearing. Conversely, a high friction coefficient is expected to limit interface stresses but may also allow uncoupling of the interface in service. This study was performed to examine this trade-off using finite element models of the modular head-neck junction. Methods. A finite element model (FEM) of the trunnion/ head assembly of a total hip prosthesis was initially created and experimentally validated. CAD models of a stem trunnion (taper size: 12/14mm) and a prosthetic femoral head (diameter: 28mm) were discretized into elements for finite element analysis (FEA). The trunnion (Ti6Al4V) was modelled with a hexahedral mesh (33,648 elements) and the femoral head (CoCrMo) with a tetrahedral mesh (51,182 elements). A friction-based sliding contact interface was defined between the mating surfaces. The model was loaded in 2 stages: (i) an assembly load of 4000N applied along the trunnion axis, and (ii) 500N applied along the trunnion axis in combination with a torque of 10Nm. A linear static solution was set up using Siemens NX-Nastran solver. Multiple simulations were executed by modulating the frictional coefficient at the taper-bore interface from 0.05 to 0.15 in increments of 0.01, the coefficient of 0.1 serving as the control case (Swaminathan and Gilbert, 2012). Results. The vertical and tangential displacements of the nodes on the taper of the trunnion relative to the femoral head demonstrated a strong inverse dependence upon the coefficient of friction at the interface (Fig. 1). A similar trend was observed with respect to the peak interface pressure (Fig. 2). The peak von Mises stress, however, increases with increasing coefficient of friction (Fig. 2). A Fisher's R to Z correlation test was performed on each output variable to determine its correlation with coefficient of friction. The coefficient of friction correlated significantly (p<0.0001) with both tangential displacement (r = −0.990) and vertical displacement (r = −0.974). Peak von Mises stress (r = 0.995) and peak contact pressure (r = −0.984) were also found to be significantly (p<0.0001) correlated to the coefficient of friction. Discussion. A higher coefficient of friction at the taper-bore interface led to lower contact pressure and sliding at the modular junction. However, higher coefficients of friction also led to increased von Mises stresses within the bore and the trunnion increasing the risk of yielding and fatigue failure. The current results strongly indicate that factors affecting the frictional coefficient at the interface likely influence the occurrence of and severity of mechanically-assisted corrosion in THA. Significance. The results from this study will help us set tolerances for the interlocking mechanism, identifying the minimum frictional coefficient required to obtain stable implant mechanics

Purpose. To evaluate the radiological changes after metal on metal resurfacing arthroplasty. Materials and Methods. Between December 1998 and August 2004, 166 hips in 150 patients who underwent metal resurfacing arthroplasty and followed up more than 4 years. Their mean age at the time of operation was 37.3 years(range, 15–68 years) and mean period of follow-up was 6.1 years(range, 48–95 months). The cause of arthroplasty included 115 avascular necrosis, 43 osteoarthritis, 7 ankylosing spondylitis, 1 haemophilic arthropathy. All patients had anteroposterior, translateral radiographs of the hip made preoperatively and each follow-up visit, and we analyzed radiographic findings such as radiolucencies or impingement signs around implant, neck narrowing and heterotopic ossification. Results. There was a no significant difference between preoperative and postoperative Harris hip score and range of motion. The mean stem-shaft angle was 137.4°, and 55.4% were ranged 130° to 140°. The mean inclination of acetabular component was 44.9°. There were no radiolucent lines or osteolytic lesion around the acetabular components, but 3 hips showed radiolucency around the head-neck junction(1.8%) and 4 hips showed radiolucent line around the stem (2.4%). 12 hips had impingement signs around the head-neck junction (7.2%), and 2 cases showed neck narrowing (1.2%). 3 cases had some heterotopic ossification (1.8%). In 12 cases with impingement signs, the stem-shaft angle and inclination of acetabular component were lower than control group. Pseudotumor was not found in this cohort. Conclusions. This study demonstrates no serious radiological problems till the midterm follow-up after resurfacing arthroplasty, but osteolytic lesion such as radiolucent line around head-neck junction, neck narrowing can be a potential cause of failure in future. Even though the radiolucent line around stem of femoral component revealed no subjective symptom yet, it suggests the micromotion of femoral component which can lead to femoral component loosening. The most common radiological findings, impingement signs, seem not to have clinical significance

Introduction. Mechanically-assisted corrosion of the head-neck junction present a dilemma to surgeons at revision THR whenever the femoral component is rigidly fixed to the femur. Many remove the damaged femoral head, clean the femoral taper and fix a new head in place to spare the patient the risks associated with extraction and replacement of the well-functioning femoral stem. This study was performed to answer these research questions:. Will new metal heads restore the mechanical integrity of the original modular junction after impaction on corroded tapers?. Which variables affect the stability of the new interface created at revision THR?. Materials and Methods. Twenty-two tapers (CoCr, n=12; TiAlV, n=10) were obtained for use in this study. Ten stems were in pristine condition, while 12 stems had been retrieved at revision THR and with corrosion damage to the trunnion (Goldberg scale 4). Twenty-two new metal heads were obtained for use in the study, each matching the taper and manufacturer of the original component. The following test states were performed using a MTS Machine: 1. Assembly, 2. Disassembly, 3. Assembly, 4. Toggling and 5. Disassembly. All head assemblies were performed wet using 50% calf serum in accordance to ISO 7206-10. During toggling, each specimen's loading axis was aligned 25° to the trunnion axis in the frontal plane and 10° in the sagittal plane (Figure 1). Toggling was performed at 1Hz for 2,000 cycles with a sinusoidal loading function (230N–4300N). During loading, 3D motion of the head-trunnion junction was measured using a custom jig rigidly attached to the head and the neck of each prosthesis. Relative displacement of the head with respect to the neck was continuously monitored using 6 high resolution displacement transducers with an accuracy of ±0.6µm. Displacement data was independently validated using FEA models of selected constructs. Results. The average micromotion of the head vs trunnion interface was greatest at the start of loading and stabilized after approximately 50 loading cycles at an average of 30.6±3.2µm (Figure 2). For CoCr couples, interface motion dropped by 17% when a pristine head was mounted on a corroded stem compared to a new stem (25.7±2.7µm (pristine stem), vs. 30.1±4.6µm (corroded stem), p= 0.4023) (Figure 3). However, addition of a new CoCr head with a corroded titanium stem led to an 73% increase in interface motion after assembly with a new CoCr head (Corroded: 43.4±9.8µm, Pristine: 25.2±7.0µm, p=0.1661). The resistance to head-neck disruption was 15% higher in TIALV/CoCr couples compared to CoCr/CoCr (TiAlV: 2558 ±63N, CoCr: 2226±99N, p=0.0111) and was not affected by the presence of corrosion of the trunnion (1% loss of strength in each case). Discussion. Corrosion at the trunnion does not disrupt the mechanical integrity of the junction when a CoCr head is replaced on a CoCr taper. We are less sure about the mechanical integrity of a TiAlV taper demonstrated by a trend towards increased micromotion at this junction. Further work is required to better elucidate the role of dissimilar metals in the mechanical integrity of the head-neck junction

Introduction. Modularity is being increasingly used throughout the world for both primary and revision total hip arthroplasty. Recently there have been concerns of increased corrosion and fretting at the modular junctions. In the SROM® modular hip system, two modular junctions are the head-neck taper junction and the stem-sleeve taper junction. The aim of this study was to investigate corrosion at these junctions with the use of different bearing materials. Methods. Between 1994 and 2012, fourty-two patients were revised with SROM® stems. Reasons for revision included aseptic loosening of the cup or stem (11), periprosthetic fracture (2), osteolysis (8), dislocation (13) and other reasons (7). One was revised for stem breakage, and this was excluded from this study. We examined 41 retrieved S-ROM® comprised of 6 metal-on-metal (MOM), 12 metal-on-polyethylene (MOP), 7 ceramic-on-polyethylene (COP) and 16 ceramic-on-ceramic (COC). The orientation for all components was marked at the time of revision surgery. Both the proximal sleeve/stem and the femoral head-neck modular junctions were examined under 10X magnification, and graded by two independent observers. The head tapers were divided into 4 regions, and graded using a previously published 3 point scoring system for fretting and corrosion damage (Goldberg et al, Kop et al), for a total corrosion damage score of 12. The SROM stems were also assessed at the sleeve/stem taper junction. Each stem was divided into 8 quadrants, and graded for corrosion and fretting using the same system as the taper. In addition to severity, we also quantified area of corrosion damage of the stem at the sleeve-stem junction from 0–3, which was multiplied by the severity of damage, to give a score out of 9 for each quadrant (maximum total score of 72 for the stem). The bearing type was unknown to the investigators, so the grading was done in a blinded fashion. Corrosion scores were divided by time to account for differences in time to revision. Results. Corrosion at the head-neck taper junction was higher for 17 stems with metal heads compared to 23 stems with ceramic heads (p=0.008). The average corrosion rate at the stem-sleeve taper junction in hips with hard-on-hard bearings (COC and MOM) was higher than polyethylene (MOP and COP) bearings, but this was not significant (p=0.07). Conclusions. Corrosion at the head-neck modular junction of hips with metal heads was greater than ceramic heads, likely due to galvanic corrosion in a mixed-metal system. Greater corrosion was found at the stem-sleeve taper junction in stems with hard-on-hard bearings. This may be related to friction in the bearings

Introduction:. A surgical hip dislocation provides circumferential access to the femoral head and is essential in the treatment pediatric and adult hip disease. Iatrogenic injury to the femoral head blood supply during a surgical may result in the osteonecrosis of the femoral head. In order to reduce vessel injury and incidence of AVN, the Greater Trochanteric Osteotomy (GTO) was developed and popularized by Ganz. The downside of this approach is the increased morbidity associated with the GTO including non-union in 8% and painful hardware requiring removal in 20% of patients. (reference) Recent studies performed at our institution have mapped the extra-osseous course of the medial femoral circumflex artery and provide surgical guidelines for a vessel preserving posterolateral approach. In this cadaveric model using Gadolinium enhanced MRI, we investigate whether standardized alterations in the postero-lateral surgical approach may reliably preserve femoral head vascularity during a posterior surgical hip dislocation. Methods:. In 8 cadaveric specimens the senior author (ES) performed a surgical hip dislocation through the posterolateral approach with surgical modifications designed to protect the superior and inferior retinacular arteries. In every specimen the same surgical alterations were made using a ruler: the Quadratus Femoris myotomy occurred 2.5 cm off its trochanteric insertion, the piriformis tenotomy occurred at its insertion and extended obliquely leaving a 2 cm cuff of conjoin tendon (inferior gemellus), and the Obturator Externus (OE) was myotomized 2 cm off its trochanteric insertion. (Figure 1) For the capsulotomy, the incision started on the posterior femoral neck directly beneath the cut obturator externus tendon and extending posteriorly to the acetabulum. Superior and inferior extensions of the capsulotomy ran parallel to the acetabular rim creating a T-shaped capsulotomy. After the surgical dislocation was complete, the medial femoral circumflex artery (MFCA) was cannulated and Gadolinium-enhanced MRI performed in order to assess intra-osseous femoral head perfusion and compared to the gadolinium femoral head perfusion of the contra-lateral hip as a non-operative control. Gross-dissection after polyurethane latex injection in the cannulated MFCA was performed to validate MRI findings and to assess for vessel integrity after the surgical dislocation. Results:. In 8 cadaveric specimens MRI quantification of femoral head perfusion was 94.3% and femoral head-neck junction perfusion was 93.5% compared to the non-operative control. (Figure 2) Gross dissection after latex injection into the MFCA demonstrated intact superior and inferior retinacular arteries in all 8 specimens. (Figure 3). Discussion and Conclusions:. In this study, perfusion to the femoral head and head-neck junction is preserved following posterior surgical dislocation through the postero-lateral approach. These preliminary findings suggest that specific surgical modifications can protect and reliably maintain vascularity to the femoral head after surgical hip dislocation. This approach may benefit hip resurfacing and potentially decease risk of femoral neck fracture secondary to osteonecrosis. In addition this may allow a vascular preserving surgical hip dislocation to be performed without the need for a GTO

Introduction. Bearing surfaces of metal-on-metal (MoM) hip resurfacing devices and total hip replacements (THRs) are a known source of metallic debris. Further, large diameter heads and the high friction of a MoM joint are thought to lead to fretting and corrosion at the taper interface between modular components. 1. The metal debris generated can cause significant problems on the joint area. 2. This paper investigated fretting and corrosion of femoral head-neck junctions. Variables of the head-neck junction which may have an effect on fretting and corrosion were identified with the aim of determining the key drivers so that their risk on fretting and corrosion could be reduced through design. Additionally, a Chromium Nitride (CrN) coating was assessed to determine the effect on fretting and corrosion of coating the stem (male), head (female) or both trunnion interfaces. As there is currently no standard specification for a head-neck trunnion interface and trunnion designs vary significantly across the market, this work may lead to a positive change in the design and materials used in head-neck taper interfaces for all THR devices. Methods. Suitable head and stem combinations were identified to enable individual variables such as; coating, medial-lateral (M-L) offset, head offset and taper angle to be isolated (Figure 1 and Figure 2). For the coated components a 3 μm CrN coating was applied to trunnion using electron beam physical vapour deposition (Tecvac, Cambridge, UK). Fretting and corrosion testing was carried out in accordance with ASTM F1875-98 (2009) method II procedure B. 3. following assembly of the components under a 2 kN load. Results. For the majority of the testing the CrN coating reduced the fretting and corrosion. Tests showed that increasing the M-L offset decreased the dynamic current but increased the static current. The results also demonstrated that increasing the head offset increases the fretting and corrosion. Taper angle did not appear to significantly alter either fretting or corrosion. Discussion. There are many peer reviewed papers regarding fretting and corrosion observed in vivo and the consequence of this on the patient. 4,5,6. To the author's knowledge this systematic identification of individual variables accountable for damaged caused to the taper junction is the first of its kind. Previous issues have been identified with CrN coatings. 7. , however the coating used here has already been shown to be very durable as a bearing surface coating under long term tests. 8. The results presented here are therefore encouraging as they also demonstrate that both fretting and corrosion can be reduced by the addition of a CrN coating to trunnion surfaces. The M-L offset results indicated that fretting may have different root causes to corrosion, as different trends were seen for dynamic and static currents. Increasing the head length increased fretting and corrosion, while altering the taper angle had no significant effect. Further work is therefore required to establish additional trends to enable design optimisation

Introduction. Recent retrieval studies and registry reports have demonstrated an alarming incidence of early failure of metal-on-metal THR. This appears to be due to fretting and corrosion at the taper junction (trunnion) between the neck and large diameter heads in metal-on-metal hip implants. It has been proposed that designs with lower bearing clearances and greater cup flexibility deform during implantation leading to increased frictional torque and micromotion at the head-neck taper junction. Small movements at the trunnion may suggest elastic deformation, but large movements may suggest slippage at the friction interface. This study was conducted using retrieved metal-on-metal components to test the hypotheses that: 1. Cup deformation through localized compression leads to increased bearing torque, and 2. Increased torques generated in large head metal-on-metal bearings cause motion of the head-neck taper junction. Materials and Methods. Nine metal-on-metal hip implants were received from a national joint retrieval service and tested in a mechanical testing machine. The components were of three different designs (ASR, BHR, and Durom) and ranged in diameter from 42–54 mm. A custom jig was constructed to generate controlled radial compression at opposite points on the rim of an acetabular component. The jig was positioned inverted to the normal anatomical position and was angled to simulate the anatomical orientation of the cup (35° inclination, 10° anteversion). With the exception of an initial compression load of 100N, the cups were compressed at 200N intervals to a maximum of 2000N. Three trials at each cup compression load were performed. The torque developed about the trunnion axis was measured as the head articulated through a motion arc of 60° and the friction factor was calculated. Head–neck micromotion was continuously monitored using a non-displacement inductive transducer. Changes in micromotion from the 100N compression load were calculated. Results. With increasing cup compression loads, higher bearing torques were observed (R. 2. = 0.191; p < 0.001). Higher bearing torques in turn showed higher levels of trunnion movement (R. 2. = 0.555; p < 0.001). (Figure 1) Two cups showed stable bearing torques (range: 2.32 Nm to 2.49 Nm) and trunnion movement (range: −1.13 μm to 0.82 μm). Three cups showed increasing torques (range: 2.35 Nm to 4.57 Nm) and trunnion movement (range: −2.20 Nm to 6.46 Nm) with increased compression loads while four cups responded to increased compression loads with jumps in torque (range: 2.37 Nm to 5.55 Nm) and trunnion movement (range: −1.39 μm to 12.56 μm). The latter four cups experienced jumps in torque and trunnion movement at compression loads greater than 1000N. (Figures 2 and 3). Conclusions. 1. Increased torque as a result of cup compression leads to increased motion at the head-neck junction. 2. Cup design may contribute to the degree of trunnion movement due to increased bearing torque via cup compression, as higher cup compression loads do not necessarily correspond to higher torques. 3. Cups in which increased flexibility is not offset by large bearing clearances are at risk for binding of the head when implanted in rigid acetabula in which compressive loads can range up to 1800N

Little is known about the relationship between head-neck corrosion and its effect on the periprosthetic tissues and distant organs of patients hosting well-functioning devices. The purpose of this study was to investigate in postmortem retrieved specimens the degree and type of taper damage, and the corresponding histologic responses in periprosthetic tissues and distant organs. Fifty postmortem THRs (34 primaries, 16 revisions) retrieved after 0.5 to 26 years were analyzed. Forty-three implants had a CoCrMo stem and seven had a Ti6Al4V stem. All heads were CoCrMo and articulated against polyethylene cups (19 XLPE, 31 UHMWPE). H&E sections of joint pseudocapsules, liver, spleen, kidneys and lymph nodes were graded 1–4 for the intensity of various inflammatory cell infiltrates and tissue characteristics. Corrosion damage of the taper surfaces was assessed using visual scoring and quantitated with an optical coordinate measuring machine. SEM analysis was used to determine the acting corrosion mode. Polyethylene wear was assessed optically. The majority of tapers had minimal to mild damage characterized by local plastic deformation of machining line peaks. Imprinting of the stem topography onto the head taper surface was observed in 18 cases. Column damage on the head taper surface occurred in three cases. All taper surfaces scored moderate or severe exhibited local damage features of fretting and/or pitting corrosion. Moderate or severe corrosion of the head and/or trunnion was present in nine hips. In one asymptomatic patient with bilateral hips, lymphocyte-dominated tissue reactions involving perivascular infiltrates of lymphocytes and plasmacytes were observed. In this patient, mild, focal lymphocytic infiltrates were also present in the liver and kidneys, and there was focal histiocytosis and necrosis of the para-aortic lymph nodes. These two implants, which had been in place for 58.6 and 60.1 months, had severe intergranular corrosion of the CoCrMo trunnion, and column damage and imprinting on the head taper. In the other 41 hips, macrophage responses in the joint pseudocapsule to metallic and/or polyethylene wear particles ranged widely from minimal to marked. Focal necrosis in the pseudocapsules of 12 arthroplasties was related to high concentrations of CoCrMo, TiAl4V, TiO, BaSO4 and polyethylene wear particles. High concentrations of these particles were also detected in para-aortic lymph nodes. Rare to mild macrophages were observed in liver and spleen. This is a comprehensive study of wear and corrosion within well-functioning postmortem retrieved THRs, and the resulting local and distant tissue reactions. One of eight patients with moderate or severe corrosion did have a subclinical inflammatory response dominated by lymphocytes after five years. To what extent such an inflammatory process might progress to become symptomatic is not known. Ionic and particulate products generated by corrosion disseminated systemically. The minor lymphocytic infiltrate in the liver and kidneys of one subject with bilateral severely corroded head-neck junctions might suggest possible metal toxicity. The diagnosis of adverse tissue reactions to corrosion of modular junctions can be challenging. Postmortem retrieval studies add to our understanding of the nature and progression of lymphocyte-dominated adverse local and potentially systemic tissue reactions to corrosion of modular junctions

Between April 2008 and February 2012, we implanted 159 large-diameter MOM stemmed THA with head diameters of 38–50mm. There were 6–38mm, 22–40mm, 42–42mm, 42–44mm, 24–46mm, 13–48mm, 4–50mm, 5–52mm, and one-54mm heads implanted in 138 patients (21 males and 117 females). The pre-operative diagnoses included: 120 OAs, 12 IONs, 4 femoral neck fractures, one RA, and one post-traumatic OA. Their ages were 40–86 years (avg. 63.6 yrs). Follow up was 4 to 67 months post implantation (avg. 40.4 months). All implants were manufactured by one company (Wright Medical Technology, Arlington, TN, USA). The stems were of a standard titanium-aluminum alloy, either 44 ANCA-FIT or 115 PROFEMUR Z non-cemented stems. Acetabular components were all CONSERVE PLUS cobalt-chromium monoblock shells. Heads were also fabricated out of cobalt-chromium alloy, with modular junctions. Patients with complaints of groin pain and/or swelling or hip instability underwent MRI examination in order to detect the presence of fluid collections or soft tissue masses. The statistical correlation between abnormal findings on MRI and age, gender, head diameter, component position and duration post-surgery was performed. 35 hips in 31 patients (22.0%) were found to have either a fluid collection or “pseudotumor” on MRI. These were in 5 males and 26 female patients. According to Hart's MRI classification, they were classified 21 hips in Type 1, twelve hips in Type 2, and two hips in Type 3 (Fig. 1, 2 and 3). 8 hips in 8 patients who had any pseudotumors were undergone revision THA (Fig. 4, 5 and 6). All hips had corrosions at head-neck taper junctions (Fig. 7). There was no difference in age between these two groups of patients (63.7 vs. 63.6 yrs.), but a significant difference in duration from the time of implantation of two groups (23.9 vs. 44.8 months). There appeared to be no significant difference between the mean head diameter of the two groups, 43.2mm and 44.0mm respectively. There was no statistical difference between the two groups with regard to implant orientation: cup inclination 18–70 degrees (41.8 vs. 43.6 degrees); cup anteversion −13–49 degrees (15.1 vs. 14.7 degrees); stem anteversion 2–48 degrees (20.1 vs. 23.3 degrees); and stem offset 17.5–56.2mm (38.2 vs. 37.8mm). Furthermore, according to Lewinnek's safe zone, there was no difference in cup orientation between the two groups (Fig. 8). When we investigated the types of modular neck, the hips having any pesudotumors tended to have long or varus necks. In this study, it is important to emphasize that the appearance of symptoms and development of a pseudotumor occurred early after a MOM THA in some patients. Also it will be important to subject all patients to MRI examination to evaluate the possibility of “silent” fluid collections and pseudotumors. In large-diameter head metal-on-metal stemmed THAs, femoral stems having long or varus neck may contribute to head-neck junction failure

Since the advent of total hip arthroplasty (THA), there have been many changes in implant design that have been implemented in an effort to improve the outcome of the procedure and enhance the surgeon's ability to reproducibly perform the procedure. Some of these design features have not stood the test of time. However, the introduction of femoral stem head/neck modularity made possible by the Morse taper has now been a mainstay design feature for over two decades. Modularity at the head-neck junction facilitates intraoperative adjustments. ‘Dual Taper’ modular stems in total hip arthroplasty have interchangeable modular necks with additional modularity at the neck and stem junction. This ‘dual taper’ modular femoral stem design facilitates adjustments of the leg length, the femoral neck version and the offset independent of femoral fixation. This has the potential advantage of optimizing hip biomechanical parameters by accurately reproducing the center of rotation of the hip. More recently, however, there is increasing concern regarding the occurrence of adverse local tissue reactions in patients with taper corrosion, which is emerging as an important reason for failure requiring revision surgery. Although adverse tissue reactions or ‘pseudotumor’ were initially described as a complication of metal-on-metal (MoM) bearings, the presence of pseudotumor in patients with taper corrosion is thought to result from corrosion at the neck-stem taper junction, secondary to reciprocating movement at the modular junction leading to fretting corrosion in a process described as mechanically assisted crevice corrosion (MACC). Therefore, the focus of this presentation is to summarise clinical challenges in diagnosis and treatment of patients with adverse tissue reactions due to taper corrosion and review up-to-date evidence

Introduction. Modularity in total hip arthroplasty offers many potential benefits, however the consequences of mechanically associated corrosion continue to be concerning. Micromotion and settling of the modular components at the taper interface are thought to contribute to the etiology of this problem. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of hammer blows delivered in different directions on the force transmitted to the head-neck and neck-stem interface in modular hip implants. Methods. One-hundred and forty-four impact tests were performed in six different directions: one on axis and five 10° off axis. Four different simulations were performed measuring the head-neck only and three different necks: 0°, 8°, and 15°. A constant height delivered on-axis hammer blows at a constant 4,500 Newton (N). Load cells positioned in the hammer and at the neck-stem junction transmitted voltage to an oscilloscope which measured forces. Results. Impact force of the hammer on the head ranged from 3800N – 4500N. Blows delivered in line with the axis had the highest force. There was a trend toward decreased force as direction moved in the proximal, anterior and posterior direction. Impact forces measured at the head-neck junction were roughly proportional to those measured at the neck-stem junction in all 3 different necks, albeit slightly attenuated. The 15° neck resulted in variable force transmission at all angles off-axis. Discussion/Conclusion. The location of the impact significantly influences the force transmitted to the head-neck and neck-stem junction in dual modular hip implants. Input loads appear to be proportional, although slightly attenuated at the taper joints. Increasing the version of the neck results in increased variability of forces at the taper junctions

Modular femoral stems for total hip arthroplasty (THA) were introduced to allow additional options for surgeons in controlling leg lengths, offset and implant stability. This option is widely used in our Region, where the study was conducted, having a modular neck stem nearly 35% of primary THA in 2013. Great majority of modular neck is made of Titanium alloy. The study was designed as a retrospective descriptive case series of 67 hips in patients who underwent revision of a THA. All had a Titanium modular neck. In 44 cases revision was due to breakage of the neck, in the remaining 23 it was due to different reasons unrelated to modular neck such as bone fracture, breakage of a ceramic component, cup loosening. Mean follow up was 3.5 yrs. For all patients excised capsule and surrounding tissue were graded for presence of necrosis, inflammatory exudate, lymphocytes, and wear particles using light microscopy of routine paraffin sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The retrieved modular neck-body and head-neck junctions were examined for evidence of fretting and corrosion. For some patient dosage of circulating Titanium was obtained. Approval was obtained from institutional review board. It resulted that a variable amount of wear was observed in the first group of patients, with no evidence of lymphocytic reaction, but with variable notes of necrosis. Broken necks showed different patterns of damage, with different degree of corrosion, beside the fatigue fracture. In the second group wear was less evident or absent and negativity of lymphocyte reaction was substantially confirmed. Circulating Titanium ions were one order of magnitude higher in first group (mean 35 micrograms /liter). It can be concluded that fracture of Titanium modular necks occurs progressively, wear does not induce lymphocytic reaction and circulating ions increase

1. Do large heads result in better stability in practice?. –. Prospective Randomized Studies showing increased stability. 2. How much of a risk is ceramic head fracture with current generation materials?. –. Minimal (0.004%). 3. How much of an actual risk is liner fracture with thin polyethylene liners?. –. Minimal (only in isolated case reports with component malposition/impingement). 4. What wear advantage is gained by using ceramic over metal heads?. –. Simulator studies (clear advantage). –. Clinical studies – Small difference in linear wear rate (with Zirconia). –. Larger difference in wear rate with newer materials (BIOLOX). 5. What other advantage is gained by using ceramic heads over metal heads?. –. No CoCr in system – less corrosion. –. Corrosion at head-neck junction can be a big problem – pseudotumours. –. Meftah/Rodriguez COP. –. Ceramic heads cause less fretting and corrosion than metal heads in in vitro study