Instability after arthroplasty of the shoulder
is difficult to correct surgically. Soft-tissue procedures and revision surgery
using unconstrained anatomical components are associated with a
high rate of failure. The purpose of this study was to determine
the results of revision of an unstable anatomical shoulder arthroplasty
to a reverse design prosthesis. Between 2004 and 2007, 33 unstable
anatomical shoulder arthroplasties were revised to a reverse design.
The mean age of the patients was 71 years (53 to 86) and their mean
follow-up was 42 months (25 to 71). The mean time to revision was
26 months (4 to 164). Pain scores improved significantly (pre-operative
visual analogue scale (VAS) of 7.2 ( Cite this article:
In this retrospective study we evaluated the
proficiency of shelf autograft in the restoration of bone stock
as part of primary total hip replacement (THR) for hip dysplasia,
and in the results of revision arthroplasty after failure of the primary
arthroplasty. Of 146 dysplastic hips treated by THR and a shelf
graft, 43 were revised at an average of 156 months, 34 of which
were suitable for this study (seven hips were excluded because of
insufficient bone-stock data and two hips were excluded because
allograft was used in the primary THR). The acetabular bone stock
of the hips was assessed during revision surgery. The mean implant–bone
contact was 58% (50% to 70%) at primary THR and 78% (40% to 100%)
at the time of the revision, which was a significant improvement
(p <
0.001). At primary THR all hips had had a segmental acetabular
defect >
30%, whereas only five (15%) had significant segmental
bone defects requiring structural support at the time of revision.
In 15 hips (44%) no bone graft or metal augments were used during
revision. A total of 30 hips were eligible for the survival study. At a
mean follow-up of 103 months (27 to 228), two aseptic and two septic
failures had occurred. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of the revision
procedures demonstrated a ten-year survival rate of 93.3% (95% confidence
interval (CI) 78 to 107) with clinical or radiological failure as
the endpoint. The mean Oxford hip score was 38.7 (26 to 46) for
non-revised cases at final follow-up. Our results indicate that the use of shelf autografts during
THR for dysplastic hips restores bone stock, contributing to the
favourable survival of the revision arthroplasty should the primary
procedure fail. Cite this article:
We evaluated the long-term results of 116 total hip replacements with a superolateral shelfplasty in 102 patients with osteoarthritis secondary to developmental dysplasia of the hip. After a mean follow-up of 19.5 years (11.5 to 26.0), 14 acetabular components (12%) had been revised. The cumulative survival at 20 years was 78%, with revision for loosening of the acetabular component as the end-point. All grafts were well integrated and showed remodelling. In six grafts some resorption had occurred under the heads of the screws where the graft was not supporting the socket. Apart from these 14 revisions, seven acetabular components had possible radiological signs of loosening at a mean follow-up of 14.5 years, one had signs of probable loosening, and five had signs of definite loosening. These results indicate that this technique of bone grafting for acetabular reconstruction in hip dysplasia is a durable solution for cemented acetabular components.
Some surgeons are reluctant to perform a reverse
total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) on both shoulders because of concerns
regarding difficulty with activities of daily living post-operatively
as a result of limited rotation of the shoulders. Nevertheless,
we hypothesised that outcomes and patient satisfaction following
bilateral RTSA would be comparable to those following unilateral
RTSA. A single-surgeon RTSA registry was reviewed for patients who underwent
bilateral staged RTSA with a minimum follow-up of two years. A unilateral
RTSA matched control was selected for each shoulder in those patients
undergoing bilateral procedures. The Constant–Murley score (CMS), American
Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Subjective Shoulder Values
(SSV), visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, range of movement and
strength were measured pre- and post-operatively. The mean CMS,
ASES, SSV, VAS scores, strength and active forward elevation were
significantly improved
(all p <
0.01) following each operation in those undergoing bilateral
procedures. The mean active external rotation (p = 0.63 and p =
0.19) and internal rotation (p = 0.77 and p = 0.24) were not significantly
improved. The improvement in the mean ASES score after the first
RTSA was greater than the improvement in its control group (p =
0.0039). The improvement in the mean CMS, ASES scores and active
forward elevation was significantly less after the second RTSA than
in its control group (p = 0.0244, p = 0.0183, and p = 0.0280, respectively).
Pain relief and function significantly improved after each RTSA
in those undergoing a bilateral procedure. Bilateral RTSA is thus a reasonable form of treatment for patients
with severe bilateral rotator cuff deficiency, although inferior
results may be seen after the second procedure compared with the
first. Cite this article:
We examined the relationship between the size
of the femoral cam in femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and acetabular
pathomorphology to establish if pincer impingement exists in patients
with a femoral cam. CT scans of 37 symptomatic impinging hips with a femoral cam
were analysed in a three-dimensional study and were compared with
34 normal hips. The inclination and version of the acetabulum as
well as the acetabular rim angle and the bony acetabular coverage
were calculated. These measurements were correlated with the size
and shape of the femoral cams. While the size of the femoral cam varied characteristically,
the acetabular morphology of the two groups was similar in terms
of version (normal mean 23° ( We found no correlation between acetabular morphology and the
severity of cam lesion and no evidence of either global or focal
over-coverage to support the diagnosis of ‘mixed’ FAI. The femoral
cam may provoke edge loading but removal of any acetabular bearing
surface when treating cam FAI might induce accelerated wear. Cite this article:
Loss of proprioception following an anterior
cruciate ligament (ACL) injury has been well documented. We evaluated
proprioception in both the injured and the uninjured limb in 25 patients
with ACL injury and in 25 healthy controls, as assessed by joint
position sense (JPS), the threshold for the detection of passive
movement (TDPM) and postural sway during single-limb stance on a
force plate. There were significant proprioceptive deficits in both ACL-deficient
and uninjured knees compared with control knees, as assessed by
the angle reproduction test (on JPS) and postural sway on single
limb stance. The degree of loss of proprioception in the ACL-deficient
knee and the unaffected contralateral knee joint in the same patient
was similar. The TDPM in the injured knee was significantly higher
than that of controls at 30° and 70° of flexion. The TDPM of the
contralateral knee joint was not significantly different from that
in controls. Based on these findings, the effect of proprioceptive training
of the contralateral uninjured knee should be explored. Cite this article:
We retrospectively reviewed 40 hips in 36 patients who had undergone acetabular reconstruction using a titanium Kerboull-type acetabular reinforcement device with bone allografts between May 2001 and April 2006. Impacted bone allografts were used for the management of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Type II defects in 17 hips, and bulk bone allografts together with impacted allografts were used for the management of Type III defects in 23 hips. A total of five hips showed radiological failure at a mean follow-up of 6.7 years (4.5 to 9.3), two of which were infected. The mean pre-operative Merle d’Aubigné score was 10 (5 to 15) This clinical study indicates that revision total hip replacement using the Kerboull-type acetabular reinforcement device with bone allografts yielded satisfactory mid-term results.
We present our experience of the modified Dunn
procedure in combination with a Ganz surgical dislocation of the hip
to treat patients with severe slipped capital femoral epiphysis
(SCFE). The aim was to prospectively investigate whether this technique
is safe and reproducible. We assessed the degree of reduction, functional
outcome, rate of complications, radiological changes and range of
movement in the hip. There were 28 patients with a mean follow-up
of 38.6 months (24 to 84). The lateral slip angle was corrected
by a mean of 50.9° (95% confidence interval 44.3 to 57.5). The mean
modified Harris hip score at the final follow-up was 89.1 ( Cite this article:
Following the recall of modular neck hip stems
in July 2012, research into femoral modularity will intensify over
the next few years. This review aims to provide surgeons with an
up-to-date summary of the clinically relevant evidence. The development
of femoral modularity, and a classification system, is described.
The theoretical rationale for modularity is summarised and the clinical
outcomes are explored. The review also examines the clinically relevant problems
reported following the use of femoral stems with a modular neck. Joint replacement registries in the United Kingdom and Australia
have provided data on the failure rates of modular devices but cannot
identify the mechanism of failure. This information is needed to
determine whether modular neck femoral stems will be used in the
future, and how we should monitor patients who already have them implanted. Cite this article:
The survivorship of contemporary resurfacing arthroplasty of the hip using metal-on-metal bearings is better than that of first generation designs, but short-term failures still occur. The most common reasons for failure are fracture of the femoral neck, loosening of the component, osteonecrosis of the femoral head, reaction to metal debris and malpositioning of the component. In 2008 the Australian National Joint Registry reported an inverse relationship between the size of the head component and the risk of revision in resurfacing hip arthroplasty. Hips with a femoral component size of ≤ 44 mm have a fivefold increased risk of revision than those with femoral components of ≥ 55 mm irrespective of gender. We have reviewed the literature to explore this observation and to identify possible reasons including the design of the implant, loading of the femoral neck, the orientation of the component, the production of wear debris and the effects of metal ions, penetration of cement and vascularity of the femoral head. Our conclusion is that although multifactorial, the most important contributors to failure in resurfacing arthroplasty of the hip are likely to be the design and geometry of the component and the orientation of the acetabular component.
A total of 31 patients, (20 women, 11 men; mean
age 62.5 years old; 23 to 81), who underwent conversion of a Girdlestone
resection-arthroplasty (RA) to a total hip replacement (THR) were
compared with 93 patients, (60 women, 33 men; mean age 63.4 years
old; 20 to 89), who had revision THR surgery for aseptic loosening
in a retrospective matched case-control study. Age, gender and the
extent of the pre-operative bone defect were similar in all patients.
Mean follow-up was 9.3 years (5 to 18). Pre-operative function and range of movement were better in the
control group (p = 0.01 and 0.003, respectively) and pre-operative
leg length discrepancy (LLD) was greater in the RA group (p <
0.001). The post-operative clinical outcome was similar in both
groups except for mean post-operative LLD, which was greater in
the study group (p = 0.003). There was a significant interaction
effect for LLD in the study group (p <
0.001). A two-way analysis
of variance showed that clinical outcome depended on patient age
(patients older than 70 years old had worse pre-operative pain,
p = 0.017) or bone defect (patients with a large acetabular bone
defect had higher LLD, p = 0.006, worse post-operative function
p = 0.009 and range of movement, p = 0.005), irrespective of the
group. Despite major acetabular and femoral bone defects requiring complex
surgical reconstruction techniques, THR after RA shows a clinical
outcome similar to those obtained in aseptic revision surgery for
hips with similar sized bone defects. Cite this article:
We assessed leg length discrepancy and hip function in 90 patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty before surgery and at three and 12 months after. Function was measured using the Oxford hip score (OHS). After surgery the mean OHS improved by 26 points after three months and by 30 points after 12. After operation 56 (62%) limbs were long by a mean of 9 mm and this was perceived by 24 (43%) patients after three months and by 18 (33%) after 12. The mean OHS in patients who perceived true lengthening was 27% worse than the rest of the population after three months and 18% worse after 12. In 55 (98%) patients, lengthening occurred in the femoral component. Appropriate placement of the femoral component could significantly reduce a patient’s perception of discrepancy of length.
We evaluated the use of a stemmed acetabular component in the treatment of severe acetabular deficiency during revision and complex primary total hip arthroplasty. There were 31 hips of which 24 were revisions (20 for aseptic loosening, four for infection) and the remainder were complex primary arthroplasties. At a mean follow-up of 10.7 years (6 to 12.8), no component had been revised for aseptic loosening; one patient had undergone a revision of the polyethylene liner for wear. There was one failure because of infection. At the latest follow-up, the cumulative survival rate for aseptic loosening, with revision being the end-point, was 100%; for radiographic loosening it was 92% and for infection and radiographic loosening it was 88%. These results justify the continued use of this stemmed component for the reconstruction of severe acetabular deficiency.
A clinical and radiological study was conducted on 97 total hip replacements performed for congenital hip dislocation in 79 patients between 1989 and 1998 using a three-dimensional custom-made cementless stem. The mean age at operation was 48 years (17 to 72) and the mean follow-up was for 123 months (83 to 182). According to the Crowe classification, there were 37 class I, 28 class II, 13 class III and 19 class IV hips. The mean leg lengthening was 25 mm (5 to 58), the mean pre-operative femoral anteversion was 38.6° (2° to 86°) and the mean correction in the prosthetic neck was −23.6° (−71° to 13°). The mean Harris hip score improved from 58 (15 to 84) to 93 (40 to 100) points. A revision was required in six hips (6.2%). The overall survival rate was 89.5% (95% confidence interval 89.2 to 89.8) at 13 years when two hips were at risk. This custom-made cementless femoral component, which can be accommodated in the abnormal proximal femur and will correct the anteversion and frontal offset, provided good results without recourse to proximal femoral corrective osteotomy.
This prospective multicentre study was undertaken
to determine segmental movement, disc height and sagittal alignment
after total disc replacement (TDR) in the lumbosacral spine and
to assess the correlation of biomechanical properties to clinical
outcomes. A total of 173 patients with degenerative disc disease and low
back pain for more than one year were randomised to receive either
TDR or multidisciplinary rehabilitation (MDR). Segmental movement
in the sagittal plane and disc height were measured using distortion
compensated roentgen analysis (DCRA) comparing radiographs in active flexion
and extension. Correlation analysis between the range of movement
or disc height and patient-reported outcomes was performed in both
groups. After two years, no significant change in movement in the
sagittal plane was found in segments with TDR or between the two
treatment groups. It remained the same or increased slightly in
untreated segments in the TDR group and in this group there was
a significant increase in disc height in the operated segments.
There was no correlation between segmental movement or disc height
and patient-reported outcomes in either group. In this study, insertion of an intervertebral disc prosthesis
TDR did not increase movement in the sagittal plane and segmental
movement did not correlate with patient-reported outcomes. This
suggests that in the lumbar spine the movement preserving properties
of TDR are not major determinants of clinical outcomes. Cite this article:
In distal fibular resection without reconstruction,
the stabilising effect of the lateral malleolus is lost. Thus, the ankle
may collapse into valgus and may be unstable in varus. Here, we
describe a child who underwent successful staged surgical correction
of a severe neglected valgus deformity after excision of the distal
fibula for a Ewing’s sarcoma.
Migration of the acetabular component may give rise to oval-shaped bone defects in the acetabulum. The oblong implant is designed to fill these defects and achieve a stable cementless anchorage with no significant bone loss. We prospectively reviewed 133 oblong long oblique revision components at a mean follow-up of 9.74 years (0.6 to 14). All had been used in revisions for defects of type IIB to IIIB according to Paprosky. Aseptic loosening was the reason for revision in 11 cases (8.3%) and deep infection in seven (5.3%). The probability of implant survival over a 12-year follow-up estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method gave a survival rate of 0.85% respectively 0.90% when deep infection was excluded as the endpoint. Our study supports the use of these components in defects from IIB to IIIA. The main precondition for success is direct contact of more than half of the surface of the implant with the host acetabular bone.
We prospectively followed 191 consecutive collarless
polished tapered (CPT) femoral stems, implanted in 175 patients
who had a mean age at operation of 64.5 years (21 to 85). At a mean
follow-up of 15.9 years (14 to 17.5), 86 patients (95 hips) were
still alive. The fate of all original stems is known. The 16-year
survivorship with re-operation for any reason was 80.7% (95% confidence
interval 72 to 89.4). There was no loss to follow-up, with clinical
data available on all 95 hips and radiological assessment performed
on 90 hips (95%). At latest follow-up, the mean Harris hip score
was 78 (28 to 100) and the mean Oxford hip score was 36 (15 to 48).
Stems subsided within the cement mantle, with a mean subsidence
of 2.1 mm (0.4 to 19.2). Among the original cohort, only one stem
(0.5%) has been revised due to aseptic loosening. In total seven
stems were revised for any cause, of which four revisions were required
for infection following revision of the acetabular component. A
total of 21 patients (11%) required some sort of revision procedure;
all except three of these resulted from failure of the acetabular
component. Cemented acetabular components had a significantly lower
revision burden (three hips, 2.7%) than Harris Galante uncemented
components (17 hips, 21.8%) (p <
0.001). The CPT stem continues to provide excellent radiological and
clinical outcomes at 15 years following implantation. Its results
are consistent with other polished tapered stem designs.
Between 1980 and 2000, 63 support rings were used in the management of acetabular deficiency in a series of 60 patients, with a mean follow-up of 8.75 years (2 months to 23.8 years). There was a minimum five-year follow-up for successful reconstructions. The indication for revision surgery was aseptic loosening in 30 cases and infection in 33. All cases were Paprosky III defects; IIIA in 33 patients (52.4%) and IIIB in 30 (47.6%), including four with pelvic dissociation. A total of 26 patients (43.3%) have died since surgery, and 34 (56.7%) remain under clinical review. With acetabular revision for infection or aseptic loosening as the definition of failure, we report success in 53 (84%) of the reconstructions. A total of 12 failures (19%) required further surgery, four (6.3%) for aseptic loosening of the acetabular construct, six (9.5%) for recurrent infection and two (3.2%) for recurrent dislocation requiring captive components. Complications, seen in 11 patients (18.3%), included six femoral or sciatic neuropraxias which all resolved, one grade III heterotopic ossification, one on-table acetabular revision for instability, and three early post-operative dislocations managed by manipulation under anaesthesia, with no further instability. We recommend support rings and morcellised bone graft for significant acetabular bone deficiency that cannot be reconstructed using mesh.