Aims. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most successful surgical procedures. The objectives of this study were to define whether there is a correlation between socioeconomic status (SES) and surgical complications after elective primary unilateral THA, and investigate whether access to elective THA differs within SES groups. Methods. We conducted a retrospective, population-based cohort study involving 202 hospitals in Ontario, Canada, over a 17-year period. Patients were divided into income quintiles based on postal codes as a proxy for personal economic status. Multivariable logistic regression models were then used to primarily assess the relationship between SES and surgical complications within one year of index THA. Results. Of 111,359 patients who underwent elective primary THA, those in the lower SES groups had statistically significantly more comorbidities and statistically significantly more postoperative complications. While there was no increase in readmission rates within 90 days, there was a statistically significant difference in the primary and secondary outcomes including all revisions due (with a subset of deep wound infection and dislocation). Results showed that those in the higher SES groups had proportionally more cases performed than those in lower groups. Compared to the highest SES quintile, the lower groups had 61% of the number of hip arthroplasties performed. Conclusion. Patients in lower socioeconomic groups have more comorbidities, fewer absolute number of cases performed, have their procedures performed in lower-volume centres, and ultimately have higher rates of complications. This lack of access and higher rates of complications is a “double hit” to those in lower SES groups, and indicates that we should be concentrating efforts to improve access to surgeons and hospitals where arthroplasty is routinely performed in high numbers. Even in a universal healthcare system where there are no penalties for complications such as readmission, there seems to be an inequality in the access to THA. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(5):589–597

Objectives. We used the National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man (NJR) to investigate the risk of revision due to prosthetic joint infection (PJI) for patients undergoing primary and revision hip arthroplasty, the changes in risk over time, and the overall burden created by PJI. Methods. We analysed revision total hip arthroplasties (THAs) performed due to a diagnosis of PJI and the linked index procedures recorded in the NJR between 2003 and 2014. The cohort analysed consisted of 623 253 index primary hip arthroplasties, 63 222 index revision hip arthroplasties and 7585 revision THAs performed due to a diagnosis of PJI. The prevalence, cumulative incidence functions and the burden of PJI (total procedures) were calculated. Overall linear trends were investigated with log-linear regression. Results. We demonstrated a prevalence of revision THA due to prosthetic joint infection of 0.4/100 procedures following primary and 1.6/100 procedures following revision hip arthroplasty. The prevalence of revision due to PJI in the three months following primary hip arthroplasty has risen 2.3-fold (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3 to 4.1) between 2005 and 2013, and 3.0-fold (95% CI 1.1 to 8.5) following revision hip arthroplasty. Over 1000 procedures are performed annually as a consequence of hip PJI, an increase of 2.6-fold between 2005 and 2013. Conclusions. Although the risk of revision due to PJI following hip arthroplasty is low, it is rising and, coupled with the established and further predicted increased incidence of both primary and revision hip arthroplasty, this represents a growing and substantial treatment burden. Cite this article: E. Lenguerrand, M. R. Whitehouse, A. D. Beswick, S. A. Jones, M. L. Porter, A. W. Blom. Revision for prosthetic joint infection following hip arthroplasty: Evidence from the National Joint Registry. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:391–398. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.66.BJR-2017-0003.R1

Aims

Our primary aim was to assess reoperation-free survival at one year after the index injury in patients aged ≥ 75 years treated with internal fixation (IF) or arthroplasty for undisplaced femoral neck fractures (uFNFs). Secondary outcomes were reoperations and mortality analyzed separately.

Aims. Short-stemmed femoral implants have been used for total hip arthroplasty (THA) in young and active patients to conserve bone, provide physiological loading, and reduce the incidence of thigh pain. Only short- to mid-term results have been presented and there have been concerns regarding component malalignment, incorrect sizing, and subsidence. This systematic review reports clinical and radiological outcomes, complications, revision rates, and implant survival in THA using short-stemmed femoral components. Materials and Methods. A literature review was performed using the EMBASE, Medline, and Cochrane databases. Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to identify studies reporting clinical and radiological follow-up for short-stemmed hip arthroplasties. Results. A total of 28 studies were eligible for inclusion. This included 5322 hips in 4657 patients with a mean age of 59 years (13 to 94). The mean follow-up was 6.1 years (0.5 to 20). The mean Harris Hip Score improved from 46 (0 to 100) to 92 (39 to 100). The mean Oxford Hip Score improved from 25 (2 to 42.5) to 35 (12.4 to 48). The mean Western Ontario & McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index improved from 54 (2 to 95) to 22 (0 to 98). Components were aligned in a neutral coronal alignment in up to 90.9% of cases. A total of 15 studies reported component survivorship, which was 98.6% (92% to 100%) at a mean follow-up of 12.1 years. Conclusion. Short-stemmed femoral implants show similar improvement in clinical and radiological outcomes compared with conventional length implants. Only mid-term survivorship, however, is known. An abundance of short components have been developed and used commercially without staged clinical trials. Long-term survival is still unknown for many of these components. There remains tension between innovation and the moral duty to ensure that the introduction of new implants is controlled until safety and patient benefit are demonstrated. Implant innovation and subsequent use should be driven by proven clinical outcomes, rather than market and financial forces, and ethical practice must be ensured. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:502–511

Aims. The purpose of this study was to validate the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in the Danish Hip Arthroplasty Register (DHR). Patients and Methods. We identified a cohort of patients from the DHR who had undergone primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) since 1 January 2005 and followed them until first-time revision, death, emigration or until 31 December 2012. Revision for PJI, as registered in the DHR, was validated against a benchmark which included information from microbiology databases, prescription registers, clinical biochemistry registers and clinical records. We estimated the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for PJI in the DHR alone and in the DHR when combined with microbiology databases. Results. In total, 1382 of the 37 826 primary THAs in the DHR were registered as having been revised for any cause once 26 patients with errors in registration had been excluded: 232 of these were for PJI. For this group, the sensitivity was 67%, specificity 95%, PPV 77%, and NPV 92%. Combining the data from the DHR with those from microbiology databases increased the sensitivity to 90% and also improved specificity (100%), PPV (98%) and NPV (98%). Conclusion. Only two thirds of revisions for PJI were captured in the DHR and only 77% of the PJI reported to the DHR could be confirmed to be infected. . Take home message: combining the data from the DHR with those from microbiology databases substantially improved the validity of the diagnosis of PJI and should enable future register-based studies. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:320–5

Aims. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of the evidence for the use of intraoperative cell salvage in patients undergoing revision hip arthroplasty, and specifically to analyze the available data in order to quantify any associated reduction in the use of allogenic blood transfusion, and the volume which is used. Methods. An electronic search of MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library was completed from the date of their inception to 24 February 2022, using a search strategy and protocol created in conjunction with the PRISMA statement. Inclusion criteria were patients aged > 18 years who underwent revision hip arthroplasty when cell salvage was used. Studies in which pre-donated red blood cells were used were excluded. A meta-analysis was also performed using a random effects model with significance set at p = 0.05. Results. Of the 283 studies which were identified, 11 were included in the systematic review, and nine in the meta-analysis. There was a significant difference (p < 0.001) in the proportion of patients requiring allogenic transfusion between groups, with an odds ratio of 0.331 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.165 to 0.663) associated with the use of cell salvage. For a total of 561 patients undergoing revision hip arthroplasty who were treated with cell salvage, 247 (44.0%) required allogenic transfusion compared with 418 of 643 patients (65.0%) who were treated without cell salvage. For those treated with cell salvage, the mean volume of allogenic blood which was required was 1.95 units (390 ml) per patient (0.7 to 4.5 units), compared with 3.25 units (650 ml) per patient (1.2 to 7.0 units) in those treated without cell salvage. The mean difference of -1.91 units (95% CI -4.0 to 0.2) in the meta-analysis was also significant (p = 0.003). Conclusion. We found a a significant reduction in the need for allogenic blood transfusion when cell salvage was used in patients undergoing revision hip arthroplasty, supporting its routine use in these patients. Further research is required to determine whether this effect is associated with types of revision arthroplasty of differing complexity. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(10):1038–1044

Total hip replacement (THR) still is a rare intervention in many African countries. In Burkina Faso it is not performed on a regular basis. A visiting programme for THR was started in a district hospital with no previous relevant experience. In this paper we present an analysis of the surgical technical problems and peri-operative complications of 152 THRs in 136 patients and three bipolar hemiarthroplasties in three patients undertaken in this new programme with limited orthopaedic equipment. There were 86 male and 53 female patients with a mean age of 49 years (21 to 78). We identified 77 intra-operative technical problems in 51 operations. There were 24 peri-operative complications in 21 patients, 17 of which were bony in nature. So far, ten revision THRs have been performed in nine patients.

Regular analysis of the technical problems and complications was used to improve quality, and we identified patient selection adapted to the local circumstances as important to avoid complications. Our reflections on the problems encountered in initiating such a programme may be of help to other teams planning similar projects.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:177–80.

Aims. With increasing burden of revision hip arthroplasty (THA), one of the major challenges is the management of proximal femoral bone loss associated with previous multiple surgeries. Proximal femoral arthroplasty (PFA) has already been popularized for tumour surgeries. Our aim was to describe the outcome of using PFA in these demanding non-neoplastic cases. Methods. A retrospective review of 25 patients who underwent PFA for non-neoplastic indications between January 2009 and December 2015 was undertaken. Their clinical and radiological outcome, complication rates, and survival were recorded. All patients had the Stanmore Implant – Modular Endo-prosthetic Tumour System (METS). Results. At mean follow-up of 5.9 years, there were no periprosthetic fractures. Clearance of infection was achieved in 63.6% of cases. One hip was re-revised to pseudo arthroplasty for deep infection. Instability was noted in eight of the hips (32%), of which seven needed further surgery. Out of these eight hips with instability, five had preoperative infection. Deep infection was noted in five of the hips (20%), of which four were primarily revised for infection. One patient had aseptic loosening of the femoral component and awaits revision surgery. The Kaplan-Meier survivorship free of revision of any component for any reason was 72% (95% confidence interval (CI) 51.3% to 92.7%), and for revisions of only femoral component for any reason was 96% (95% CI 86.3% to 105.7%) at five years. Conclusion. Dislocation and infection remain the major cause for failure, particularly in patients with pre-existing infection. The use of dual mobility cups, silver-coated implants, and less aggressive postoperative rehabilitation regimens would possibly aid in the reduction of complications. PFA performed in patients with periprosthetic fracture seem to fair better. This study supports the judicious use of PFA in non-oncological revision hip arthroplasties, and that they be performed by experienced revision arthroplasty surgeons. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(3):229–235

Aims. This study investigates the use of the metabolic equivalent of task (MET) score in a young hip arthroplasty population, and its ability to capture additional benefit beyond the ceiling effect of conventional patient-reported outcome measures. Methods. From our electronic database of 751 hip arthroplasty procedures, 221 patients were included. Patients were excluded if they had revision surgery, an alternative hip procedure, or incomplete data either preoperatively or at one-year follow-up. Included patients had a mean age of 59.4 years (SD 11.3) and 54.3% were male, incorporating 117 primary total hip and 104 hip resurfacing arthroplasty operations. Oxford Hip Score (OHS), EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D), and the MET were recorded preoperatively and at one-year follow-up. The distribution was examined reporting the presence of ceiling and floor effects. Validity was assessed correlating the MET with the other scores using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and determining responsiveness. A subgroup of 93 patients scoring 48/48 on the OHS were analyzed by age, sex, BMI, and preoperative MET using the other metrics to determine if differences could be established despite scoring identically on the OHS. Results. Postoperatively the OHS and EQ-5D demonstrate considerable negatively skewed distributions with ceiling effects of 41.6% and 53.8%, respectively. The MET was normally distributed postoperatively with no relevant ceiling effect. Weak-to-moderate significant correlations were found between the MET and the other two metrics. In the 48/48 subgroup, no differences were found comparing groups with the EQ-5D, however significantly higher mean MET scores were demonstrated for patients aged < 60 years (12.7 (SD 4.7) vs 10.6 (SD 2.4), p = 0.008), male patients (12.5 (SD 4.5) vs 10.8 (SD 2.8), p = 0.024), and those with preoperative MET scores > 6 (12.6 (SD 4.2) vs 11.0 (SD 3.3), p = 0.040). Conclusion. The MET is normally distributed in patients following hip arthroplasty, recording levels of activity which are undetectable using the OHS. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2022;11(5):317–326

Aims. Acetabular edge-loading was a cause of increased wear rates in metal-on-metal hip arthroplasties, ultimately contributing to their failure. Although such wear patterns have been regularly reported in retrieval analyses, this study aimed to determine their in vivo location and investigate their relationship with acetabular component positioning. Methods. 3D CT imaging was combined with a recently validated method of mapping bearing surface wear in retrieved hip implants. The asymmetrical stabilizing fins of Birmingham hip replacements (BHRs) allowed the co-registration of their acetabular wear maps and their computational models, segmented from CT scans. The in vivo location of edge-wear was measured within a standardized coordinate system, defined using the anterior pelvic plane. Results. Edge-wear was found predominantly along the superior acetabular edge in all cases, while its median location was 8° (interquartile range (IQR) -59° to 25°) within the anterosuperior quadrant. The deepest point of these scars had a median location of 16° (IQR -58° to 26°), which was statistically comparable to their centres (p = 0.496). Edge-wear was in closer proximity to the superior apex of the cups with greater angles of acetabular inclination, while a greater degree of anteversion influenced a more anteriorly centred scar. Conclusion. The anterosuperior location of edge-wear was comparable to the degradation patterns observed in acetabular cartilage, supporting previous findings that hip joint forces are directed anteriorly during a greater portion of walking gait. The further application of this novel method could improve the current definition of optimal and safe acetabular component positioning. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2021;10(10):639–649

Aims. One-stage revision hip arthroplasty for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) has several advantages; however, resection of the proximal femur might be necessary to achieve higher success rates. We investigated the risk factors for resection and re-revisions, and assessed complications and subsequent re-revisions. Methods. In this single-centre, case-control study, 57 patients who underwent one-stage revision arthroplasty for PJI of the hip and required resection of the proximal femur between 2009 and 2018 were identified. The control group consisted of 57 patients undergoing one-stage revision without bony resection. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify any correlation with resection and the risk factors for re-revisions. Rates of all-causes re-revision, reinfection, and instability were compared between groups. Results. Patients who required resection of the proximal femur were found to have a higher all-cause re-revision rate (29.8% vs 10.5%; p = 0.018), largely due to reinfection (15.8% vs 0%; p = 0.003), and dislocation (8.8% vs 10.5%; p = 0.762), and showed higher rate of in-hospital wound haematoma requiring aspiration or evacuation (p = 0.013), and wound revision (p = 0.008). The use of of dual mobility components/constrained liner in the resection group was higher than that of controls (94.7% vs 36.8%; p < 0.001). The presence and removal of additional metal hardware (odds ratio (OR) = 7.2), a sinus tract (OR 4), ten years’ time interval between primary implantation and index infection (OR 3.3), and previous hip revision (OR 1.4) increased the risk of proximal femoral resection. A sinus tract (OR 9.2) and postoperative dislocation (OR 281.4) were associated with increased risk of subsequent re-revisions. Conclusion. Proximal femoral resection during one-stage revision hip arthroplasty for PJI may be required to reduce the risk of of recurrent or further infection. Patients with additional metalware needing removal or transcortical sinus tracts and chronic osteomyelitis are particularly at higher risk of needing proximal femoral excision. However, radical resection is associated with higher surgical complications and increased re-revision rates. The use of constrained acetabular liners and dual mobility components maintained an acceptable dislocation rate. These results, including identified risk factors, may aid in preoperative planning, patient consultation and consent, and intraoperative decision-making. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(11):1678–1685

Aims. There is an increasing demand for hip arthroplasty in China. We aimed to describe trends in in-hospital mortality after this procedure in China and to examine the potential risk factors. Patients and Methods. We included 210 450 patients undergoing primary hip arthroplasty registered in the Hospital Quality Monitoring System in China between 2013 and 2016. In-hospital mortality after hip arthroplasty and its relation to potential risk factors were assessed using multivariable Poisson regression. Results. During the study period, 626 inpatient deaths occurred within 30 days after hip arthroplasty. Mortality decreased from 2.9% in 2013 to 2.6% in 2016 (p for trend = 0.02). Compared with their counterparts, old age, male sex, and divorced or widowed patients had a higher rate of mortality (all p < 0.05). Risk ratio (RR) for mortality after arthroplasty for fracture was two-fold higher (RR 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5 to 2.6) than that for chronic disease. RRs for mortality were 3.3 (95% CI 2.7 to 3.9) and 8.2 (95% CI 6.5 to 10.4) for patients with Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) of 1 to 2 and CCI ≥ 3, respectively, compared with patients with CCI of 0. The rate of mortality varied according to geographical region, the lowest being in the East region (1.8%), followed by Beijing (2.1%), the North (2.9%), South-West (3.6%), South-Central (3.8%), North-East (4.1%), and North-West (5.2%) regions. Conclusion. While in-hospital mortality after hip arthroplasty in China appears low and declined during the study period, discrepancies in mortality after this procedure exist according to sociodemographic factors. Healthcare resources should be allocated more to underdeveloped regions to further reduce mortality. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1209–1217

Aims. The aim of this study was to determine satisfaction rates after hip and knee arthroplasty in patients who did not respond to postoperative patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), characteristics of non-responders, and contact preferences to maximize response rates. Methods. A prospective cohort study of patients planned to undergo hip arthroplasty (n = 713) and knee arthroplasty (n = 737) at a UK university teaching hospital who had completed preoperative PROMs questionnaires, including the EuroQol five-dimension health-related quality of life score, and Oxford Hip Score (OHS) and Oxford Knee Score (OKS). Follow-up questionnaires were sent by post at one year, including satisfaction scoring. Attempts were made to contact patients who did not initially respond. Univariate, logistic regression, and receiver operator curve analysis was performed. Results. At one year, 667 hip patients (93.5%) and 685 knee patients (92.9%) had undergone surgery and were alive. No response was received from 151/667 hip patients (22.6%), 83 (55.0%) of whom were ultimately contacted); or from 108/685 knee patients (15.8%), 91 (84.3%) of whom were ultimately contacted. There was no difference in satisfaction after arthroplasty between initial non-responders and responders for hips (74/81 satisfied vs 476/516 satisfied; p = 0.847) or knees (81/93 satisfied vs 470/561 satisfied; p = 0.480). Initial non-response and persistent non-response was associated with younger age, higher BMIs, and worse preoperative PROMs for both hip and knee patients (p < 0.050). Being in employment was associated with persistent non-response for hip patients (p = 0.047). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that younger age (p < 0.038), higher BMI (p = 0.018), and poorer preoperative OHS (p = 0.031) were independently associated with persistent non-response to hip PROMs. No independent associations were identified for knees. Using a threshold of > 66.4 years predicted a preference for contact by post (area under the curve 0.723 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.647 to 0.799; p < 0.001, though this CI crosses the 0.7 limit considered reliable). Conclusion. The majority of initial non-responders were ultimately contactable with effort. Satisfaction rates were not inferior in patients who did not initially respond to PROMs. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(4):275–283

Aims. This study describes the variation in the annual volumes of revision hip arthroplasty (RHA) undertaken by consultant surgeons nationally, and the rate of accrual of RHA and corresponding primary hip arthroplasty (PHA) volume for new consultants entering practice. Methods. National Joint Registry (NJR) data for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man were received for 84,816 RHAs and 818,979 PHAs recorded between April 2011 and December 2019. RHA data comprised all revision procedures, including first-time revisions of PHA and any subsequent re-revisions recorded in public and private healthcare organizations. Annual procedure volumes undertaken by the responsible consultant surgeon in the 12 months prior to every index procedure were determined. We identified a cohort of ‘new’ HA consultants who commenced practice from 2012 and describe their rate of accrual of PHA and RHA experience. Results. The median annual consultant RHA volume, averaged across all cases, was 21 (interquartile range (IQR) 11 to 34; range 0 to 181). Of 1,695 consultants submitting RHA cases within the study period, the top 20% of surgeons by annual volume performed 74.2% of total RHA case volume. More than half of all consultants who had ever undertaken a RHA maintained an annual volume of just one or fewer RHA, however, collectively contributed less than 3% of the total RHA case volume. Consultant PHA and RHA volumes were positively correlated. Lower-volume surgeons were more likely to undertake RHA for urgent indications (such as infection) as a proportion of their practice, and to do so on weekends and public holidays. Conclusion. The majority of RHAs were undertaken by higher-volume surgeons. There was considerable variation in RHA volumes by indication, day of the week, and between consultants nationally. The rate of accrual of RHA experience by new consultants is low, and has important implications for establishing an experienced RHA consultant workforce. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(10):1060–1069

Aims. Femoral cement-in-cement revision is a well described technique to reduce morbidity and complications in hip revision surgery. Traditional techniques for septic revision of hip arthroplasty necessitate removal of all bone cement from the femur. In our two centres, we have been using a cement-in-cement technique, leaving the distal femoral bone cement in selected patients for septic hip revision surgery, both for single and the first of two-stage revision procedures. A prerequisite for adoption of this technique is that the surgeon considers the cement mantle to be intimately fixed to bone without an intervening membrane between cement and host bone. We aim to report our experience for this technique. Methods. We have analyzed patients undergoing this cement-in-cement technique for femoral revision in infection, and present a consecutive series of 89 patients. Follow-up was undertaken at a mean of 56.5 months (24.0 to 134.7) for the surviving cases. Results. Seven patients (7.9%) required further revision for infection. Ten patients died of causes unrelated to their infection before their two-year review (mean 5.9 months; 0.9 to 18.6). One patient was lost to follow-up at five months after surgery, and two patients died of causes unrelated to their hip shortly after their two-year review was due without attending. Of the remaining patients, 69 remained infection-free at final review. Radiological review confirms the mechanical success of the procedure as previously described in aseptic revision, and postoperative Oxford Hip Scores suggest satisfactory functional outcomes. Conclusion. In conclusion, we found that retaining a well-fixed femoral cement mantle in the presence of infection and undertaking a cement-in-cement revision was successful in 82 of the patients (92.1%) in our series of 89, both in terms of eradication of infection and component fixation. These results are comparable to other more invasive techniques and offer significant potential benefits to the patient. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(2):212–220

Aims. The purpose of this study was to evaluate unexpected positive cultures in total hip arthroplasty (THA) revisions for presumed aseptic loosening, to assess the prevalence of low-grade infection using two definition criteria, and to analyze its impact on implant survival after revision. Methods. A total of 274 THA revisions performed for presumed aseptic loosening from 2012 to 2016 were reviewed. In addition to obtaining intraoperative tissue cultures from all patients, synovial and sonication fluid samples of the removed implant were obtained in 215 cases (79%) and 101 cases (37%), respectively. Histopathological analysis was performed in 250 cases (91%). Patients were classified as having low-grade infections according to institutional criteria and Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS) International Consensus Meeting (ICM) 2013 criteria. Low-grade infections according to institutional criteria were treated with targeted antibiotics for six weeks postoperatively. Implant failure was defined as the need for re-revision resulting from periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) and aseptic reasons. The mean follow-up was 68 months (26 to 95). Results. Unexpected positive intraoperative samples were found in 77 revisions (28%). Low-grade infection was diagnosed in 36 cases (13%) using institutional criteria and in nine cases (3%) using MSIS ICM 2013 criteria. In all, 41 patients (15%) had single specimen growth of a low-virulent pathogen and were deemed contaminated. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and anaerobes were the most commonly isolated bacteria. Implant failure for PJI was higher in revisions with presumed contaminants (5/41, 12%) compared to those with low-grade infections (2/36, 6%) and those with negative samples (5/197, 3%) (p = 0.021). The rate of all-cause re-revision was similar in patients diagnosed with low-grade infections (5/36, 14%) and those with presumed contaminants (6/41, 15%) and negative samples (21/197, 11%) (p = 0.699). Conclusion. Our findings suggest that the presumption of culture contamination in aseptic revision hip arthroplasty may increase the detection of PJI. In this cohort, the presence of low-grade infection did not increase the risk of re-revision. Further studies are needed to assess the relevance of single specimen growth and the benefits of specific postoperative antibiotic regimens. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(6):1070–1077

Aims. Our objective was describing an algorithm to identify and prevent vascular injury in patients with intrapelvic components. Methods. Patients were defined as at risk to vascular injuries when components or cement migrated 5 mm or more beyond the ilioischial line in any of the pelvic incidences (anteroposterior and Judet view). In those patients, a serial investigation was initiated by a CT angiography, followed by a vascular surgeon evaluation. The investigation proceeded if necessary. The main goal was to assure a safe tissue plane between the hardware and the vessels. Results. In ten at-risk patients undergoing revision hip arthroplasty and submitted to our algorithm, six were recognized as being high risk to vascular injury during surgery. In those six high-risk patients, a preventive preoperative stent was implanted before the orthopaedic procedure. Four patients needed a second reinforcing stent to protect and to maintain the vessel anatomy deformed by the intrapelvic implants. Conclusion. The evaluation algorithm was useful to avoid blood vessels injury during revision total hip arthroplasty in high-risk patients. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(11):859–866

Aims. Access to joint replacement is being restricted for patients with comorbidities in a number of high-income countries. However, there is little evidence on the impact of comorbidities on outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the safety and effectiveness of hip and knee arthroplasty in patients with and without comorbidities. Methods. In total, 312,079 hip arthroplasty and 328,753 knee arthroplasty patients were included. A total of 11 common comorbidities were identified in administrative hospital records. Safety risks were measured by assessing length of hospital stay (LOS) and 30-day emergency readmissions and mortality. Effectiveness outcomes were changes in Oxford Hip or Knee Scores (OHS/OKS) (scale from 0 (worst) to 48 (best)) and in health-related quality of life (EQ-5D) (scale from 0 (death) to 1 (full health)) from immediately before, to six months after, surgery. Regression analysis was used to estimate adjusted mean differences (LOS, change in OHS/OKS/EQ-5D) and risk differences (readmissions and mortality). Results. Patients with comorbidities had a longer LOS and higher readmission and mortality rates than patients without. In hip arthroplasty patients with heart disease, for example, LOS was 1.20 days (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15 to 1.25) longer and readmission rate was 1.52% (95% CI 1.34% to 1.71%) and mortality 0.19% (95% CI 0.15% to 0.23%) higher. Similar patterns were observed for knee arthroplasty patients. Patients without comorbidities reported large improvements in function (mean improvement OHS 21.3 (SD 9.91) and OKS 15.9 (SD 10.0)). Patients with comorbidities reported only slightly smaller improvements. In patients with heart disease, mean improvement in OHS was 0.39 (95% CI 0.27 to 0.51) and in OKS 0.56 (95% CI 0.45 to 0.67) less than in patients without comorbidities. There were no significant differences in EQ-5D improvement. Conclusion. Comorbidities were associated with small increases in adverse safety risks but they have little impact on pain or function in patients undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty. These results do not support restricting access to hip and knee arthroplasty for patients with common comorbidities. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(1):56–64

Aims. We investigated the long-term performance of the Tripolar Trident acetabular component used for recurrent dislocation in revision total hip arthroplasty. We assessed: 1) rate of re-dislocation; 2) incidence of complications requiring re-operation; and 3) Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) pain and functional scores. Patients and Methods. We retrospectively identified 111 patients who had 113 revision tripolar constrained liners between 1994 and 2008. All patients had undergone revision hip arthroplasty before the constrained liner was used: 13 after the first revision, 17 after the second, 38 after the third, and 45 after more than three revisions. A total of 75 hips (73 patients) were treated with Tripolar liners due to recurrent instability with abductor deficiency, In addition, six patients had associated cerebral palsy, four had poliomyelitis, two had multiple sclerosis, two had spina bifida, two had spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, one had previous reversal of an arthrodesis, and 21 had proximal femoral replacements. The mean age of patients at time of Tripolar insertions was 72 years (53 to 89); there were 69 female patients (two bilateral) and 42 male patients. All patients were followed up for a mean of 15 years (10 to 24). Overall, 55 patients (57 hips) died between April 2011 and February 2018, at a mean of 167 months (122 to 217) following their tripolar liner implantation. We extracted demographics, implant data, rate of dislocations, and incidence of other complications. Results. At ten years, the Kaplan–Meier survivorship for dislocation was 95.6% (95% confidence interval (CI) 90 to 98), with 101 patients at risk. At 20 years, the survivorship for dislocation was 90.6% (95% CI 81.0 to 95.5), with one patient at risk. Eight patients (7.2%) had a dislocation of their constrained liners. At ten years, the survival to any event was 89.4% (95% CI 82 to 93.8), with 96 patients at risk. At 20 years, the survival to any event was 82.5% (95% CI 71.9 to 89.3), with one patient at risk. Five hips (4.4%) had deep infection. Two patients (1.8%) developed dissociated constraining rings with pain but without dislocation, which required re-operation. Two patients (1.8%) had periprosthetic femoral fractures, without dislocation, that were treated by revision stems along with exchange of the well-functioning constrained liners. Conclusion. Constrained tripolar liners used at revision hip arthroplasty provided favourable results in the long term for treatment of recurrent dislocation and for patients at high risk of dislocation. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B(6 Supple B):123–126

Ceramic bearings have several desirable properties, such as resistance to wear, hardness, and biocompatibility, that favour it as an articulating surface in hip arthroplasty. However, ceramic fracture remains a concern. We have reviewed the contemporary literature, addressing the factors that can influence the incidence of ceramic bearing surface fracture. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:897–901