Aims: The purpose of this retrospective study was to report on the treatment of migrated ununited greater trochanter following total hip arthroplasty. Methods: Between January 1986 and December 1999, 72 non-unions of the greater trochanter in 71 patients were treated using a trochanteric claw plate. The mean age of the patients was 66 ± 11 years. The average time to re-operation was 8 months. Fixation of the non-united greater trochanter was performed using a claw plate only in 47 hips, and the association of frontal wires with a claw plate in the remaining 25 hips. The main criterion for evaluation was the consolidation of the greater trochanter judged as follows: bony consolidation (no pain, no Trendelenboug gait, radiologic fusion); fibrous consolidation (moderate pain, no Trendelenboug gait, radiologic fusion difficult to assess); and non-union (Trendelenboug gait and/or absence of radiologic fusion). Results: The average follow-up of the series was 4 years (1 to 14 years). The mean d’Aubigné score significantly increased from 13.5 preoperatively to 15.9 at last follow-up (paired signs test, p < 0.0001). Bony consolidation was obtained in 51 hips, fibrous in 9, whereas repeat non-union occurred in 12. The only predictive factor for union was the use frontal wires in association with a claw plate that provided 87.5% of unions and no failure (Chi square test, p = 0.006). Conclusions: This study indicated that non-union of the greater trochanter following total hip arthroplasty can be successfully treated with frontal wires in conjunction with a trochanteric claw plate.

Purpose: Nonunion of the trochanter after total hip arthroplasty using the transtrochanteric approach is a serious complication. Incidence is estimated at 3%. Failure after simple cerclage reaches 40%. A plate was therefore designed specifically for fixation of trochanteric fractures. The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to assess outcome in a continuous series of trochanteric fractures treated with this plate.

Material and methods: The series included 72 nonunions in 71 patients treated between 1986 and 1999. Mean age was 66 years. Most of the arthroplasties had been performed for primary degenerative joint disease or for hip dysplasia. The time interval between artrhoplasty and treatment of the nonunion was eight months on the average. The trochanter was fixed with a plate alone in 47 hips and in combination with a frontal wire in 25. The primary outcome criterion was trochanter healing scored as: union (pain free hip, radiological fusion and stability), nonunion (lack of radiological fusion and/or presence of an instability), and doubtful union (moderate pain, no instability, radiological fusion difficult to affirm).

Results: Mean follow-up was 47 months (range 12 – 14). Mean functional score at last follow-up was 15/9 compared with 13.5 preoperatively (paired test, p < 10–4) with 51 unions, 12 nonunions and 9 doubtful unions. Among the factors studied, trochanter fixation technique was the only factor predictive of outcome. Results were as follows for plate fixation alone: union 62%, doubtful union 13% and failure 25%. For hips with wire and plate fixation, the results were union 87.5%, doubtful union 12/5%, failure 0%. The difference was highly significant (chi-square, p = 0.006) in favour of wire-plate fixation of trochanteric fractures.

Discussion and conclusion: This study leads to the conclusion that the treatment of choice for trochanteric nonunion is wire-plate fixation which provides more than 90% good and very good results.

Purpose: Re-establishment of correct patellofemoral kinetics is a major challenge in patients with major dislocation of the patella. Several factors affect the position of the patella, rotation of the prosthetic components, lateral section of the patella, and …perhaps…surgical access.

Material and methods: Between 1994 and 1999, 26 knees with major dislocation of the patella were treated by the same operator with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using a Cedior (Sulzer) implant. The operative technique was the same for all patients with the exception of the surgical access. For group 1 knees (n=13) a medial access was used (medial parapellar approach, 2 lateral patellar sections). For group 2 knees (n=13) a lateral access was used (lateral parapatellar approach lifting the anterior tibial tendon and refixing it after the procedure with systematic lateral fixation of the patella). Patellar tilt and lateral displacement and the patellar index (PI) (distance using head of the fibula as the fixed point) were the main judgement criteria. Student’s t test was used for statistical analysis. The two groups were comparable for: preoperative axial deviation (176.8±6.45°), lateral displacement (8.65±3.74 mm), and PI (0.789±0.166), and postoperative position of the femorotibial implants.

Results: Patellar displacement persisted in one knee in group 1 requiring a new prosthesis. Anterior impaction of the tibial piece in one knee in group 2 did not require reoperation. Radiographically, lateral displacement was minimal in both groups (0.692 and 0 mm in groups 1 and 2) (p=0.17). Residual postoperative tilt was +3.8° in group 1 and −3.3° in group 2 (p=0.06). PI was 0.859 in group 1 and 0.956 in group 2 (p=0.24). In group 2, the postoperative PI (0.956±0.231) was not changed from the preoperative PI (0.831±0.152) an expression of the absence of ascension of the anterior tibial tendon (p =0.1).

Dicussion: Lateral displacement of the patella was entirely corrected in both groups. Unlike the lateral access, medial access, even with lateral section of the patella, did not correct for the tilt. Raising the anterior tibial tendon did not in our experience have any iatrogenic effect in itself. Irrespective of the femorotibial axis, lateral access for degenerative knees with major dislocation of the patella appears to be the best approach for implantation of total knee arthroplasty.