Aims. The aims of this study were to evaluate the incidence of reoperation (all cause and specifically for periprosthetic femoral fracture (PFF)) and mortality, and associated risk factors, following a hemiarthroplasty incorporating a cemented collarless polished taper slip stem (PTS) for management of an intracapsular hip fracture. Methods. This retrospective study included hip fracture patients aged 50 years and older treated with Exeter (PTS) bipolar hemiarthroplasty between 2019 and 2022. Patient demographics, place of domicile, fracture type, delirium status, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, length of stay, and mortality were collected. Reoperation and mortality were recorded up to a median follow-up of 29.5 months (interquartile range 12 to 51.4). Cox regression was performed to evaluate independent risk factors associated with reoperation and mortality. Results. The cohort consisted of 1,619 patients with a mean age of 82.2 years (50 to 104), of whom 1,100 (67.9%) were female. In total, 29 patients (1.8%) underwent a reoperation; 12 patients (0.7%) sustained a PFF during the observation period (United Classification System (UCS)-A n = 2; UCS-B n = 5; UCS-C n = 5), of whom ten underwent surgical management. Perioperative delirium was independently associated with the occurrence of PFF (hazard ratio (HR) 5.92; p = 0.013) and surgery for UCS-B PFF (HR 21.7; p = 0.022). Neither all-cause reoperation nor PFF-related surgery was independently associated with mortality (HR 0.66; p = 0.217 and HR 0.38; p = 0.170, respectively). Perioperative delirium, male sex, older age, higher ASA grade, and pre-fracture residential status were independently associated with increased mortality risk following hemiarthroplasty (p < 0.001). Conclusion. The cumulative incidence of PFF at four years was 1.1% in elderly patients following cemented PTS hemiarthroplasty for a hip fracture. Perioperative delirium was independently associated with a PFF. However, reoperation for PPF was not independently associated with patient mortality after adjusting for patient-specific factors. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(4):269–276

Revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) is challenging when there is severe loss of bone in the proximal femur. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of revision THA in patients with severe proximal femoral bone loss treated with a fluted, tapered, modular femoral component. Between January 1998 and December 2004, 92 revision THAs were performed in 92 patients using a single fluted, tapered, modular femoral stem design. Pre-operative diagnoses included aseptic loosening, infection and peri-prosthetic fracture. Bone loss was categorised pre-operatively as Paprosky types III-IV, or Vancouver B3 in patients with a peri-prosthetic fracture. The mean clinical follow-up was 6.4 years (2 to 12). A total of 47 patients had peri-operative complications, 27 of whom required further surgery. However, most of these further operations involved retention of a well-fixed femoral stem, and 88/92 femoral components (97%) remained in situ. Of the four components requiring revision, three were revised for infection and were well fixed at the time of revision; only one (1%) was revised for aseptic loosening. The most common complications were post-operative instability (17 hips, 19%) and intra-operative femoral fracture during insertion of the stem (11 hips, 12%). Diaphyseal stress shielding was noted in 20 hips (22%). There were no fractures of the femoral component. At the final follow-up 78% of patients had minimal or no pain. . Revision THA in patients with extensive proximal femoral bone loss using the Link MP fluted, tapered, modular stem led to a high rate of osseointegration of the stem at mid-term follow-up. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015; 97-B:312–17

Periprosthetic femoral fracture (PFF) is a potentially devastating complication after total hip arthroplasty, with historically high rates of complication and failure because of the technical challenges of surgery, as well as the prevalence of advanced age and comorbidity in the patients at risk. This study describes the short-term outcome after revision arthroplasty using a modular, titanium, tapered, conical stem for PFF in a series of 38 fractures in 37 patients. The mean age of the cohort was 77 years (47 to 96). A total of 27 patients had an American Society of Anesthesiologists grade of at least 3. At a mean follow-up of 35 months (4 to 66) the mean Oxford Hip Score (OHS) was 35 (15 to 48) and comorbidity was significantly associated with a poorer OHS. All fractures united and no stem needed to be revised. Three hips in three patients required further surgery for infection, recurrent PFF and recurrent dislocation and three other patients required closed manipulation for a single dislocation. One stem subsided more than 5 mm but then stabilised and required no further intervention. . In this series, a modular, tapered, conical stem provided a versatile reconstruction solution with a low rate of complications. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1031–7

Aims. The aim of this study was to compare early functional and health related quality of life outcomes (HRQoL) in patients who have undergone total hip arthroplasty (THA) using a bone conserving short stem femoral component and those in whom a conventional length uncemented component was used. Outcome was assessed using a validated performance based outcome instrument as well as patient reported outcome measures (PROMs). Patients and Methods. We prospectively analysed 33 patients whose THA involved a contemporary proximally porous coated tapered short stem femoral component and 53 patients with a standard conventional femoral component, at a minimum follow-up of two years. The mean follow-up was 31.4 months (24 to 39). Patients with poor proximal femoral bone quality were excluded. The mean age of the patients was 66.6 years (59 to 77) and the mean body mass index was 30.2 kg/m. 2. (24.1 to 41.0). Outcome was assessed using the Oxford Hip Score (OHS) and the University College Hospital (UCH) hip score which is a validated performance based instrument. HRQoL was assessed using the EuroQol 5D (EQ-5D). Results. There were no major peri-operative complications. There was no difference in the mean post-operative OHS, EQ-5D or function subscale of the UCH hip scores between the two groups. The mean pre-operative OHS and EQ-5D scores improved significantly (all p <  0.001). The mean functional component of the UCH hip score at final follow-up was 42.5 and 40.6 in the short stem and conventional stem groups, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups (p = 0.42). A total of seven patients (21.2%) in the short stem group and nine (16.98%) in the conventional group achieved a ceiling effect using the OHS; none did using the function subscale of the UCH hip score. Conclusion. The proximally porous coated tapered short stem femoral component achieves comparable short-term functional outcomes when compared with a conventional longer stem uncemented femoral component when THA is undertaken in patients with good bone quality. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B(4 Supple B):49–55

Aims. Although good clinical outcomes have been reported for monolithic tapered, fluted, titanium stems (TFTS), early results showed high rates of subsidence. Advances in stem design may mitigate these concerns. This study reports on the use of a current monolithic TFTS for a variety of indications. Methods. A multi-institutional retrospective study of all consecutive total hip arthroplasty (THA) and revision total hip arthroplasty (rTHA) patients who received the monolithic TFTS was conducted. Surgery was performed by eight fellowship-trained arthroplasty surgeons at four institutions. A total of 157 hips in 153 patients at a mean follow-up of 11.6 months (SD7.8) were included. Mean patient age at the time of surgery was 67.4 years (SD 13.3) and mean body mass index (BMI) was 28.9 kg/m. 2. (SD 6.5). Outcomes included intraoperative complications, one-year all-cause re-revisions, and subsidence at postoperative time intervals (two weeks, six weeks, six months, nine months, and one year). Results. There were eight intraoperative complications (4.9%), six of which were intraoperative fractures; none occurred during stem insertion. Six hips (3.7%) underwent re-revision within one year; only one procedure involved removal of the prosthesis due to infection. Mean total subsidence at latest follow-up was 1.64 mm (SD 2.47). Overall, 17 of 144 stems (11.8%) on which measurements could be performed had >5 mm of subsidence, and 3/144 (2.1%) had >10 mm of subsidence within one year. A univariate regression analysis found that additional subsidence after three months was minimal. A multivariate regression analysis found that subsidence was not significantly associated with periprosthetic fracture as an indication for surgery, the presence of an extended trochanteric osteotomy (ETO), Paprosky classification of femoral bone loss, stem length, or type of procedure performed (i.e. full revision vs conversion/primary). Conclusion. Advances in implant design, improved trials, a range of stem lengths and diameters, and high offset options mitigate concerns of early subsidence and dislocation with monolithic TFTS, making them a valuable option for femoral revision. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(2):191–197

Tapered fluted titanium stems are increasingly used for femoral revision arthroplasty. They are available in modular and non-modular forms. Modularity has advantages when the bone loss is severe, the proximal femur is mis shapen or the surgeon is unfamiliar with the implant, but it introduces the risk of fracture of the stem at the junction between it and the proximal body segment. For that reason, and while awaiting intermediate-term results of more recently introduced designs of this junction, non-modularity has attracted attention, at least for straightforward revision cases. . We review the risks and causes of fracture of tapered titanium modular revision stems and present an argument in favour of the more selective use of modular designs. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B(1 Suppl A):50–3

Non-modular tapered fluted, titanium stems are available for use in femoral revision. The combination of taper and flutes on the stem provides axial and rotational stability, respectively. The material and surface properties of the stem promotes bone on-growth. If the surgeon is confident and reasonably experienced in the surgical use of this sort of design and the case is relatively straightforward, a non-modular design is effective. It also potentially reduces implant inventory, and circumvents the potential problems of taper junction corrosion and fatigue fracture. There are reports of excellent survival, good clinical and functional results and evidence of subsequent increase in proximal bone stock. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B(11 Suppl A):56–9

We report a case of a male patient presenting with bilateral painful but apparently well-positioned and -fixed large-diameter metal-on-metal hip replacements four years post-operatively. Multiple imaging modes revealed a thick-walled, cystic expansile mass in communication with the hip joint (a pseudotumour). Implant retrieval analysis and tissue culture eliminated high bearing wear or infection as causes for the soft-tissue reaction, but noted marked corrosion of the modular neck taper adaptor and corrosion products in the tissues. Therefore, we believe corrosion products from the taper caused by mismatch of the implant components led to pseudotumour formation requiring revision

We retrospectively reviewed 175 patients (191 hips) who had undergone primary cemented total hip replacement between November 1992 and November 1995 using a collarless polished double-tapered femoral component after a minimum of ten years (mean 11.08; 10 to 12.8). All stems were implanted using contemporary cementing techniques with a distal cement restrictor, pressurised lavage, retrograde cementing with a gun and proximal pressurisation. Clinical outcome was assessed using the Harris Hip score. Radiological analysis was performed on calibrated plain radiographs taken in two planes. Complete radiological data on 110 patients (120 hips) and clinical follow-up on all the surviving 111 patients (122 hips) was available. The fate of all the hips was known. At final follow-up, the mean Harris Hip score was 86 (47 to 100), and 87 of 116 patients (75%) had good or excellent scores. Survival with revision of the stem for aseptic loosening as the endpoint was 100%; and survival with revision of the stem for any reason was 95.9% (95% confidence interval 87.8 to 96.8) at ten years. All the stems subsided vertically at the stem-cement interface in a predictable pattern, at an overall mean rate of 0.18 mm per year (0.02 to 2.16), but with a mean rate of 0.80 mm (0.02 to 2.5) during the first year. The mean total subsidence was 1.95 mm (0.21 to 24). Only three stems loosened at the cement-bone interface. There was excellent preservation of proximal femoral bone stock. There was a high incidence of Brooker III and IV heterotopic ossification affecting 25 patients (22%). The collarless polished tapered stem has an excellent clinical and radiological outcome at a minimum of ten years’ follow-up. The pattern and magnitude of subsidence of the stem within the cement mantle occurred in a predictable pattern, consistent with the design philosophy

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

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of frictional torque and bending moment on fretting corrosion at the taper interface of a modular femoral component and to investigate whether different combinations of material also had an effect. The combinations we examined were 1) cobalt–chromium (CoCr) heads on CoCr stems 2) CoCr heads on titanium alloy (Ti) stems and 3) ceramic heads on CoCr stems. In test 1 increasing torque was imposed by offsetting the stem in the anteroposterior plane in increments of 0 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm and 8 mm when the torque generated was equivalent to 0 Nm, 9 Nm, 14 Nm and 18 Nm. In test 2 we investigated the effect of increasing the bending moment by offsetting the application of axial load from the midline in the mediolateral plane. Increments of offset equivalent to head + 0 mm, head + 7 mm and head + 14 mm were used. Significantly higher currents and amplitudes were seen with increasing torque for all combinations of material. However, Ti stems showed the highest corrosion currents. Increased bending moments associated with using larger offset heads produced more corrosion: Ti stems generally performed worse than CoCr stems. Using ceramic heads did not prevent corrosion, but reduced it significantly in all loading configurations. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:463–72

The early failure and revision of bimodular primary total hip arthroplasty prostheses requires the identification of the risk factors for material loss and wear at the taper junctions through taper wear analysis. Deviations in taper geometries between revised and pristine modular neck tapers were determined using high resolution tactile measurements. A new algorithm was developed and validated to allow the quantitative analysis of material loss, complementing the standard visual inspection currently used. The algorithm was applied to a sample of 27 retrievals (in situ from 2.9 to 38.1 months) of the withdrawn Rejuvenate modular prosthesis. The mean wear volumes on the flat distal neck piece taper was 3.35 mm. 3. (0.55 to 7.57), mainly occurring in a characteristic pattern in areas with high mechanical loading. Wear volume tended to increase with time to revision (r² = 0.423, p = 0.001). Implant and patient specific data (offset, stem size, patient’s mass, age and body mass index) did not correlate with the amount of material loss observed (p >  0.078). Bilaterally revised implants showed higher amounts of combined total material loss and similar wear patterns on both sides. The consistent wear pattern found in this study has not been reported previously, suggesting that the device design and materials are associated with the failure of this prosthesis. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1350–7

We carried out a clinical and radiological review of 103 cementless primary hip arthroplasties with a tapered rectangular grit-blasted titanium press-fit femoral component and a threaded conical titanium acetabular component at a mean follow-up of 14.4 years (10.2 to 17.1). The mean Harris hip score at the last follow-up was 89.2 (32 to 100). No early loosening and no fracture of the implant were found. One patient needed revision surgery because of a late deep infection. In 11 hips (10.7%), the reason for revision was progressive wear of the polyethylene liner. Exchange of the acetabular component because of aseptic loosening without detectable liner wear was carried out in three hips (2.9%). After 15 years the survivorship with aseptic loosening as the definition for failure was 95.6% for the acetabular component and 100% for the femoral component

Polished, tapered stems are now widely used for cemented total hip replacement and many such designs have been introduced. However, a change in stem geometry may have a profound influence on stability. Stems with a wide, rectangular proximal section may be more stable than those which are narrower proximally. We examined the influence of proximal geometry on stability by comparing the two-year migration of the Exeter stem with a more recent design, the CPS-Plus, which has a wider shoulder and a more rectangular cross-section. The hypothesis was that these design features would increase rotational stability. Both stems subsided approximately 1 mm relative to the femur during the first two years after implantation. The Exeter stem was found to rotate into valgus (mean 0.2°, . sd. 0.42°) and internally rotate (mean 1.28°, . sd. 0.99°). The CPS-Plus showed no significant valgus rotation (mean 0.2°, . sd. 0.42°) or internal rotation (mean −0.03°, . sd. 0.75°). A wider, more rectangular cross-section improves rotational stability and may have a better long-term outcome

Tapered, fluted, modular, titanium stems have a long history in Europe and are increasing in popularity in North America. We have reviewed the results at our institution looking at stem survival and clinical outcomes. Radiological outcomes and quality of life assessments have been performed and compared to cylindrical non-modular cobalt chromium stems. Survival at five years was 94%. This fell to 85% at ten years due to stem breakage with older designs. Review of radiology showed maintenance or improvement of bone stock in 87% of cases. Outcome scores were superior in tapered stems despite worse pre-operative femoral deficiency. Tapered stems have proved to be a useful alternative in revision total hip arthroplasty across the spectrum of femoral bone deficiency

Femoral impaction bone allografting has been developed as a means of restoring bone stock in revision total hip replacement. We report the results of 75 consecutive patients (75 hips) with a mean age of 68 years (35 to 87) who underwent impaction grafting using the Exeter collarless, polished, tapered femoral stem between 1992 and 1998. The mean follow-up period was 10.5 years (6.3 to 14.1). The median pre-operative bone defect score was 3 (interquartile range (IQR) 2 to 3) using the Endo-Klinik classification. The median subsidence at one year post-operatively was 2 mm (IQR 1 to 3). At the final review the median Harris hip score was 80.6 (IQR 67.6 to 88.9) and the median subsidence 2 mm (IQR 1 to 4). Incorporation of the allograft into trabecular bone and secondary remodelling were noted radiologically at the final follow-up in 87% (393 of 452 zones) and 40% (181 of 452 zones), respectively. Subsidence of the Exeter stem correlated with the pre-operative Endo-Klinik bone loss score (p = 0.037). The degree of subsidence at one year had a strong association with long-term subsidence (p < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between previous revision surgery and a poor Harris Hip score (p = 0.028), and those who had undergone previous revision surgery for infection had a higher risk of complications (p = 0.048). Survivorship at 10.5 years with any further femoral operation as the end-point was 92% (95% confidence interval 82 to 97)

Aims

Surgeons have commonly used modular femoral heads and stems from different manufacturers, although this is not recommended by orthopaedic companies due to the different manufacturing processes.

We compared the rate of corrosion and rate of wear at the trunnion/head taper junction in two groups of retrieved hips; those with mixed manufacturers (MM) and those from the same manufacturer (SM).

Cemented femoral stems with force closed fixation designs have shown good clinical results despite high early subsidence. A new triple-tapered stem in this category (C-stem AMT) was introduced in 2005. This study compares this new stem with an established stem of similar design (Exeter) in terms of migration (as measured using radiostereometric analysis), peri-prosthetic bone remodelling (measured using dual energy x-ray densitometry, DXA), Oxford Hip Score, and plain radiographs.

A total of 70 patients (70 hips) with a mean age of 66 years (53 to 78) were followed for two years. Owing to missing data of miscellaneous reasons, the final analysis represents data from 51 (RSA) and 65 (DXA) patients. Both stems showed a typical pattern of migration: Subsidence and retroversion that primarily occurred during the first three months. C-stem AMT subsided less during the first three months (p = 0.01), before stabilising at a subsidence rate similar to the Exeter stem from years one to two. The rate of migration into retroversion was slightly higher for C-stem AMT during the second year (p = 0.03). Whilst there were slight differences in movement patterns between the stems, the C-stem AMT exhibits good early clinical outcomes and displays a pattern of migration and bone remodelling that predicts good clinical performance.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:755–61.

Aims

To evaluate the hypothesis that failed osteosynthesis of periprosthetic Vancouver type B1 fractures can be treated successfully with stem revision using a transfemoral approach and a cementless, modular, tapered revision stem with reproducible rates of fracture healing, stability of the revision stem, and clinically good results.