Intact abductors of the hip play a crucial role
in preventing limping and are known to be damaged through the direct lateral
approach. The extent of trauma to the abductors after revision total
hip replacement (THR) is unknown. The aim of this prospective study
was to compare the pre- and post-operative status of the gluteus
medius muscle after revision THR. We prospectively compared changes
in the muscle and limping in 30 patients who were awaiting aseptic
revision THR and 15 patients undergoing primary THR. The direct
lateral approach as described by Hardinge was used for all patients.
MRI scans of the gluteus medius and functional analyses were recorded
pre-operatively and six months post-operatively. The overall mean
fatty degeneration of the gluteus medius increased from 35.8% (1.1
to 98.8) pre-operatively to 41% (1.5 to 99.8) after multiple revision
THRs (p = 0.03). There was a similar pattern after primary THR,
but with considerably less muscle damage (p = 0.001), indicating
progressive muscle damage. Despite an increased incidence of a positive
Trendelenburg sign following revision surgery (p = 0.03) there was
no relationship between the cumulative fatty degeneration in the
gluteus medius and a positive Trendelenburg sign (p = 0.26). The
changes associated with other surgical approaches to the hip warrant
investigation. Cite this article:
The Unified Classification System (UCS) emphasises
the key principles in the assessment and management of peri-prosthetic
fractures complicating partial or total joint replacement. We tested the inter- and intra-observer agreement for the UCS
as applied to the pelvis and femur using 20 examples of peri-prosthetic
fracture in 17 patients. Each subtype of the UCS was represented
by at least one case. Specialist orthopaedic surgeons (experts)
and orthopaedic residents (pre-experts) assessed reliability on
two separate occasions. For the pelvis, the UCS showed inter-observer agreement of 0.837
(95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.798 to 0.876) for the experts and
0.728 (95% CI 0.689 to 0.767) for the pre-experts. The intra-observer
agreement for the experts was 0.861 (95% CI 0.760 to 0.963) and
0.803 (95% 0.688 to 0.918) for the pre-experts. For the femur, the
UCS showed an inter-observer kappa value of 0.805 (95% CI 0.765
to 0.845) for the experts and a value of 0.732 (95% CI 0.690 to 0.773)
for the pre-experts. The intra-observer agreement was 0.920 (95%
CI 0.867 to 0.973) for the experts, and 0.772 (95% CI 0.652 to 0.892)
for the pre-experts. This corresponds to a substantial and ‘almost
perfect’ inter- and intra-observer agreement for the UCS for peri-prosthetic
fractures of the pelvis and femur. We hope that unifying the terminology of these injuries will
assist in their assessment, treatment and outcome. Cite this article:
We report the five year outcomes of a two-stage
approach for infected total hip replacement. This is a single-surgeon
experience at a tertiary centre where the more straightforward cases
are treated using single-stage exchange. This study highlights the
vital role of the multidisciplinary team in managing these cases. A total of 125 patients (51 male, 74 female) with a mean age
of 68 years (42 to 78) were reviewed prospectively. Functional status
was assessed using the Harris hip score (HHS). The mean HHS improved
from 38 (6 to 78.5) pre-operatively to 81.2 (33 to 98) post-operatively.
Staphylococcus species were isolated in 85 patients (68%). The rate of control of infection was 96% at five years. In all,
19 patients died during the period of the study. This represented
a one year mortality of 0.8% and an overall mortality of 15.2% at
five years. No patients were lost to follow-up. We report excellent control of infection in a series of complex
patients and infections using a two-stage revision protocol supported
by a multidisciplinary approach. The reason for the high rate of
mortality in these patients is not known. Cite this article:
If a surgeon is faced with altered lesser trochanter
anatomy when revising the femoral component in revision total hip
replacement, a peri-prosthetic fracture, or Paprosky type IIIb or
type IV femoral bone loss, a modular tapered stem offers the advantages
of accurately controlling femoral version and length. The splines
of the taper allow rotational control, and improve the fit in femoral
canals with diaphyseal bone loss. In general, two centimetres of diaphyseal
contact is all that is needed to gain stability with modular tapered
stems. By allowing the proximal body trial to rotate on a well-fixed
distal segment during trial reduction, appropriate anteversion can
be obtained in order to improve intra-operative stability, and decrease
the dislocation risk. However, modular stems should not be used for
all femoral revisions, as implant fracture and corrosion at modular
junctions can still occur. Cite this article:
We identified five (2.3%) fractures of the stem in a series of 219 revision procedures using a cementless, cylindrical, extensively porous-coated, distally-fixed femoral stem. Factors relating to the patients, the implant and the operations were compared with those with intact stems. Finite-element analysis was performed on two of the fractured implants. Factors associated with fracture of the stem were poor proximal bone support (type III–type IV; p = 0.001), a body mass index >
30; (p = 0.014), a smaller diameter of stem (<
13.5 mm; p = 0.007) and the use of an extended trochanteric osteotomy (ETO 4/5: p = 0.028). Finite-element analysis showed that the highest stresses on the stem occurred adjacent to the site of the fracture. The use of a strut graft wired over an extended trochanteric osteotomy in patients lacking proximal femoral cortical support decreased the stresses on the stem by 48%. We recommend the use of a strut allograft in conjunction with an extended trochanteric osteotomy in patients with poor proximal femoral bone stock.
We report our experience of revision total hip
replacement (THR) using the Revitan curved modular titanium fluted revision
stem in patients with a full spectrum of proximal femoral defects.
A total of 112 patients (116 revisions) with a mean age of 73.4
years (39 to 90) were included in the study. The mean follow-up
was 7.5 years (5.3 to 9.1). A total of 12 patients (12 hips) died
but their data were included in the survival analysis, and four
patients (4 hips) were lost to follow-up. The clinical outcome,
proximal bone regeneration and subsidence were assessed for 101
hips. The mean Harris Hip Score was 88.2 (45.8 to 100) after five years
and there was an increase of the mean Barnett and Nordin-Score,
a measure of the proximal bone regeneration, of 20.8 (-3.1 to 52.7).
Five stems had to be revised (4.3%), three (2.9%) showed subsidence,
five (4.3%) a dislocation and two of 85 aseptic revisions (2.3%)
a periprosthetic infection. At the latest follow-up, the survival with revision of the stem
as the endpoint was 95.7% (95% confidence interval 91.9% to 99.4%)
and with aseptic loosening as the endpoint, was 100%. Peri-prosthetic
fractures were not observed. We report excellent results with respect to subsidence, the risk
of fracture, and loosening after femoral revision using a modular
curved revision stem with distal cone-in-cone fixation. A successful
outcome depends on careful pre-operative planning and the use of
a transfemoral approach when the anatomy is distorted or a fracture
is imminent, or residual cement or a partially-secured existing
stem cannot be removed. The shortest appropriate stem should, in
our opinion, be used and secured with >
3 cm fixation at the femoral
isthmus, and distal interlocking screws should be used for additional
stability when this goal cannot be realised. Cite this article:
We investigated the detailed anatomy of the gluteus
maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus and their neurovascular
supply in 22 hips in 11 embalmed adult Caucasian human cadavers.
This led to the development of a surgical technique for an extended
posterior approach to the hip and pelvis that exposes the supra-acetabular
ilium and preserves the glutei during revision hip surgery. Proximal
to distal mobilisation of the gluteus medius from the posterior
gluteal line permits exposure and mobilisation of the superior gluteal
neurovascular bundle between the sciatic notch and the entrance
to the gluteus medius, enabling a wider exposure of the supra-acetabular
ilium. This technique was subsequently used in nine patients undergoing
revision total hip replacement involving the reconstruction of nine
Paprosky 3B acetabular defects, five of which had pelvic discontinuity.
Intra-operative electromyography showed that the innervation of
the gluteal muscles was not affected by surgery. Clinical follow-up
demonstrated good hip abduction function in all patients. These
results were compared with those of a matched cohort treated through
a Kocher–Langenbeck approach. Our modified approach maximises the
exposure of the ilium above the sciatic notch while protecting the
gluteal muscles and their neurovascular bundle. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:48–53.
Large femoral heads have been used with increasing
frequency over the last decade. The prime reason is likely the effect
of large heads on stability. The larger head neck ratio, combined
with the increased jump distance of larger heads result in a greater
arc of impingement free motion, and greater resistance to dislocation
in a provocative position. Multiple studies have demonstrated clear
clinical efficacy in diminishing dislocation rates with the use
of large femoral heads. With crosslinked polyethylene, wear has
been shown to be equivalent between larger and smaller heads. However,
the stability advantages of increasing diameter beyond 38 mm have
not been clearly demonstrated. More importantly, recent data implicates
large heads in the increasing prevalence of groin pain and psoas impingement.
There are clear benefits with larger femoral head diameters, but
the advantages of diameters beyond 38 mm have not yet been demonstrated
clinically.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the risk
factors, prevention strategies, classification, and treatment of
intra-operative femur fractures sustained during primary and revision
total hip arthroplasty.
There are no recent studies comparing cable with
wire for the fixation of osteotomies or fractures in total hip replacement
(THR). Our objective was to evaluate the five-year clinical and
radiological outcomes and complication rates of the two techniques.
We undertook a review including all primary and revision THRs performed
in one hospital between 1996 and 2005 using cable or wire fixation.
Clinical and radiological evaluation was performed five years post-operatively.
Cables were used in 51 THRs and wires in 126, and of these, 36 THRs
with cable (71%) and 101 with wire (80%) were evaluated at follow-up.
The five-year radiographs available for 33 cable and 91 wire THRs
revealed rates of breakage of fixation of 12 of 33 (36%) and 42
of 91 (46%), respectively. With cable there was a significantly
higher risk of metal debris (68% In conclusion, we found a higher incidence of complications and
a trend towards increased infection and foreign-body reaction with
the use of cables.
Revision arthroplasty of the hip is expensive
owing to the increased cost of pre-operative investigations, surgical implants
and instrumentation, protracted hospital stay and drugs. We compared
the costs of performing this surgery for aseptic loosening, dislocation,
deep infection and peri-prosthetic fracture. Clinical, demographic
and economic data were obtained for 305 consecutive revision total
hip replacements in 286 patients performed at a tertiary referral
centre between 1999 and 2008. The mean total costs for revision
surgery in aseptic cases (n = 194) were £11 897 (
Two-stage revision surgery for infected total knee replacement offers the highest rate of success for the elimination of infection. The use of articulating antibiotic-laden cement spacers during the first stage to eradicate infection also allows protection of the soft tissues against excessive scarring and stiffness. We have investigated the effect of cyclical loading of cement spacers on the elution of antibiotics. Femoral and tibial spacers containing vancomycin at a constant concentration and tobramycin of varying concentrations were studied The elution of tobramycin increased proportionately with its concentration in cement and was significantly higher at all sampling times from five minutes to 1680 minutes in loaded components compared with the control group (p = 0.021 and p = 0.003, respectively). A similar trend was observed with elution of vancomycin, but this failed to reach statistical significance at five, 1320 and 1560 minutes (p = 0.0508, p = 0.067 and p = 0.347, respectively). However, cyclically loaded and control components showed an increased elution of vancomycin with increasing tobramycin concentration in the specimens, despite all components having the same vancomycin concentration. The concentration of tobramycin influences both tobramycin and vancomycin elution from bone cement. Cyclical loading of the cement spacers enhanced the elution of vancomycin and tobramycin.
We report the results of 79 patients (81 hips)
who underwent impaction grafting at revision hip replacement using the
Exeter femoral stem. Their mean age was 64 years (31 to 83). According
to the Endoklinik classification, 20 hips had a type 2 bone defect,
40 had type 3, and 21 had type 4. The mean follow-up for unrevised
stems was 10.4 years (5 to 17). There were 12 re-operations due to intra- and post-operative
fractures, infection (one hip) and aseptic loosening (one hip).
All re-operations affected type 3 (6 hips) and 4 (6 hips) bone defects.
The survival rate for re-operation for any cause was 100% for type
2, 81.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) 67.1 to 95.3) for type 3,
and 70.8% (95% CI 51.1 to 90.5) for type 4 defects at 14 years.
The survival rate with further revision for aseptic loosening as
the end point was 98.6% (95% CI 95.8 to 100). The final clinical
score was higher for patients with type 2 bone defects than type
4 regarding pain, function and range of movement. Limp was most
frequent in the type 4 group (p <
0.001). The mean subsidence
of the stem was 2.3 mm ( The impacted bone grafting technique has good clinical results
in femoral revision. However, major bone defects affect clinical
outcome and also result in more operative complications.
Retrieval studies of total hip replacements with highly cross-linked ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene liners have shown much less surface damage than with conventional ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene liners. A recent revision hip replacement for recurrent dislocation undertaken after only five months revealed a highly cross-linked polyethylene liner with a large area of visible delamination. In order to determine the cause of this unusual surface damage, we analysed the bearing surfaces of the cobalt-chromium femoral head and the acetabular liner with scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and optical profilometry. We concluded that the cobalt-chromium modular femoral head had scraped against the titanium acetabular shell during the course of the dislocations and had not only roughened the surface of the femoral head but also transferred deposits of titanium onto it. The largest deposits were 1.6 μm to 4.3 μm proud of the surrounding surface and could lead to increased stresses in the acetabular liner and therefore cause accelerated wear and damage. This case illustrates that dislocations can leave titanium deposits on cobalt-chromium femoral heads and that highly cross-linked ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene remains susceptible to surface damage.
The clinical and radiological results of 50 consecutive acetabular reconstructions in 48 patients using impaction grafting have been retrospectively reviewed. A 1:1 mixture of frozen, ground irradiated bone graft and Apapore 60, a synthetic bone graft substitute, was used in all cases. There were 13 complex primary and 37 revision procedures with a mean follow-up of five years (3.4 to 7.6). The clinical survival rate was 100%, with improvements in the mean Harris Hip Scores for pain and function. Radiologically, 30 acetabular grafts showed evidence of incorporation, ten had radiolucent lines and two acetabular components migrated initially before stabilising. Acetabular reconstruction in both primary and revision surgery using a 1:1 mixture of frozen, ground, irriadiated bone and Apapore 60 appears to be a reliable method of managing acetabular defects. Longer follow-up will be required to establish whether this technique is as effective as using fresh-frozen allograft.
We investigated the early results of modular porous metal components used in 23 acetabular reconstructions associated with major bone loss. The series included seven men and 15 women with a mean age of 67 years (38 to 81), who had undergone a mean of two previous revisions (1 to 7). Based on Paprosky’s classification, there were 17 type 3A and six type 3B defects. Pelvic discontinuity was noted in one case. Augments were used in 21 hips to support the shell and an acetabular component-cage construct was implanted in one case. At a mean follow-up of 41 months (24 to 62), 22 components remained well fixed. Two patients required rerevision of the liners for prosthetic joint instability. Clinically, the mean Harris Hip Score improved from 43.0 pre-operatively (14 to 86) to 75.7 post-operatively (53 to 100). The mean pre-operative Merle d’Aubigné score was 8.2 (3 to 15) and improved to a mean of 13.7 (11 to 18) post-operatively. These short-term results suggest that modular porous metal components are a viable option in the reconstruction of Paprosky type 3 acetabular defects. More data are needed to determine whether the system yields greater long-term success than more traditional methods, such as reconstruction cages and structural allografts.
We present an update of the clinical and radiological results of 62 consecutive acetabular revisions using impacted morsellised cancellous bone grafts and a cemented acetabular component in 58 patients, at a mean follow-up of 22.2 years (20 to 25). The Kaplan-Meier survivorship for the acetabular component with revision for any reason as the endpoint was 75% at 20 years (95% confidence interval (CI) 62 to 88) when 16 hips were at risk. Excluding two revisions for septic loosening at three and six years, the survivorship at 20 years was 79% (95% CI 67 to 93). With further exclusions of one revision of a well-fixed acetabular component after 12 years during a femoral revision and two after 17 years for wear of the acetabular component, the survivorship for aseptic loosening was 87% at 20 years (95% CI 76 to 97). At the final review 14 of the 16 surviving hips had radiographs available. There was one additional case of radiological loosening and four acetabular reconstructions showed progressive radiolucent lines in one or two zones. Acetabular revision using impacted large morsellised bone chips (0.5 cm to 1 cm in diameter) and a cemented acetabular component remains a reliable technique for reconstruction, even when assessed at more than 20 years after surgery.
The removal of well-fixed bone cement from the femoral canal during revision of a total hip replacement (THR) can be difficult and risks the loss of excessive bone stock and perforation or fracture of the femoral shaft. Retaining the cement mantle is attractive, yet the technique of cement-in-cement revision is not widely practised. We have used this procedure at our hospital since 1989. The stems were removed to gain a better exposure for acetabular revision, to alter version or leg length, or for component incompatibility. We studied 136 hips in 134 patients and followed them up for a mean of eight years (5 to 15). A further revision was required in 35 hips (25.7%), for acetabular loosening in 26 (19.1%), sepsis in four, instability in three, femoral fracture in one and stem fracture in one. No femoral stem needed to be re-revised for aseptic loosening. A cement-in-cement revision of the femoral stem is a reliable technique in the medium term. It also reduces the risk of perforation or fracture of the femoral shaft.
We identified 1305 femoral impaction bone grafting revisions using the Exeter stem performed between 1989 and 2002 in 30 hospitals throughout Sweden. There were 1188 patients with a mean age of 71 years (29 to 94) followed up for between five and 18 years. The participating departments reported 70 further revisions in total, of which 57 could also be identified on the Swedish National Arthroplasty Registry. Kaplan-Meier survivorship for all causes of failure was 94.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) 92 to 96) for women and 94.7% (95% CI, 92 to 96) for men at 15 years. Survivorship at 15 years for aseptic loosening was 99.1% (95% CI 98.4 to 99.5), for infection 98.6% (95% CI 97.6 to 99.2), for subsidence 99.0% (95% CI 98.2 to 99.4) and for fracture 98.7% (95% CI 97.9 to 99.2) Statistically significant predictors of failure were the year in which revision was conducted (p <
0.001). The number of previous revisions was slightly above the level of signifance (p = 0.056). Age, gender, the length of the stem and previous septic loosening were not predictors of failure (p = 0.213, p = 0.399, p = 0.337, p = 0.687, respectively). The difference in survivorship between high- and low-volume departments was only 3% at ten years. We conclude that impaction bone grafting with the Exeter stem has an excellent long-term survivorship following revision arthroplasty. The technique of impaction grafting appears to be reliable, can be learned rapidly and produces a predictably low incidence of aseptic loosening.
We reviewed 25 patients in whom a MUTARS megaprosthesis with a conical fluted stem had been implanted. There were three types of stem: a standard stem was used in 17 cases (three in the proximal femur, nine in the distal femur and five proximal tibia), a custom-made proximal femoral stem in four cases and a custom-made distal femoral stem in four cases. The mean age of the patients was 40.1 years (17 to 70) and the mean follow-up was for 2.5 years (0.9 to 7.4). At follow-up two patients had died from their disease: one was alive with disease and 22 were disease-free. One of 23 prostheses had been removed for infection and another revised to a cemented stem. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score was 24.9 (12 to 30) and the mean Karnofsky index was 82% (60% to 100%). There was no radiological evidence of loosening or subsidence. Stem stress shielding was seen in 11 patients and was marked in five of these. There were five complications, rupture of the extensor mechanism of the knee after extra-articular resection in two patients, deep venous thrombosis in one, septic loosening in one, and dislocation of the hip in one. The survival rate after seven years was 87% (95% confidence interval (CI) 83 to 91) for the patients and 95% (95% CI 91 to 99) for the megaprosthesis. A longer follow-up is needed to confirm these encouraging results.