We describe 25 patients who were treated for a tumour of the proximal femur by resection and replacement with an uncemented, bipolar, modular prosthesis. When followed up after more than ten years four prostheses (16%) had required revision. Two joints showed wear and another necrosis of the acetabulum. One patient with loosening of the stem had been treated by radiotherapy to the femur. Articular cartilage seemed to be a reliable barrier to acetabular wear. Very few signs of the formation of particulate debris were observed. The most obvious feature in the bone-stem relationship was stress shielding, seen as osteoporosis of the proximal part of the femur around the stem in 68%. Functional activity was satisfactory in 68% of the patients. A better system of reattachment of the soft tissues is needed to avoid pain and a persistent limp

We have reviewed the results in 37 patients with unilateral congenital short femur (Pappas classes III to IX), treated by different lengthening procedures. The increase in the length of the femur varied from 15.6% to 142%, excellent or good results being obtained in 32 patients (86%). There was an average of 1.9 complications per case, most being seen earlier in the series when the Wagner technique was used. With the Orthofix and the Ilizarov techniques, we used callus distraction in all cases. We found that the proximal diaphysis of the congenitally abnormal femur healed less well, and we now prefer to perform corticotomy and callus distraction of the distal metaphysis. The Ilizarov method gave the best results, offering the possibilities of the simultaneous use of a Hoffmann fixator across the hip and the treatment of knee dislocation and instability

We report our experience of treating 17 patients with benign lesions of the proximal femur with non-vascularised, autologous fibular strut grafts, without osteosynthesis. The mean age of the patients at presentation was 16.5 years (5 to 33) and they were followed up for a mean of 2.9 years (0.4 to 19.5). Histological diagnoses included simple bone cyst, fibrous dysplasia, aneurysmal bone cysts and giant cell tumour. Local recurrence occurred in two patients (11.7%) and superficial wound infection, chronic hip pain and deep venous thrombosis occurred in three. Pathological fracture did not occur in any patient following the procedure. We conclude that non-vascularised fibular strut grafts are a safe and satisfactory method of treating benign lesions of the proximal femur

Objective. In ex vivo hip fracture studies femoral pairs are split to create two comparable test groups. When more than two groups are required, or if paired femurs cannot be obtained, group allocation according to bone mineral density (BMD) is sometimes performed. In this statistical experiment we explore how this affects experimental results and sample size considerations. Methods. In a hip fracture experiment, nine pairs of human cadaver femurs were tested in a paired study design. The femurs were then re-matched according to BMD, creating two new test groups. Intra-pair variance and paired correlations in fixation stability were calculated. A hypothetical power analysis was then performed to explore the required sample size for the two types of group allocation. . Results. The standard deviation (. sd. ) of the mean paired difference in fixation stability increased from 2 mm in donor pairs to 5 mm in BMD-matched pairs. Intra-pair correlation was 0.953 (Pearson’s r) in donor pairs and non-significant at -0.134 (Pearson’s r) in BMD-matched pairs. Required sample size to achieve a statistical power of 0.8 increased from ten pairs using donor pairs to 54 pairs using BMD-matched pairs. Conclusion. BMD cannot be used to create comparable test groups unless sample size is increased substantially and paired statistics are no longer valid. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2014;3:317–20

We investigated whether improvements in design have altered the outcome for patients undergoing endoprosthetic replacement of the distal femur after resection of a tumour. Survival of the implant and ‘servicing’ procedures have been documented using a prospective database, review of the design of the implant and case records. In total, 335 patients underwent a distal femoral replacement, 162 having a fixed-hinge design and 173 a rotating-hinge. The median age of the patients was 24 years (interquartile range 17 to 48). A total of 192 patients remained alive with a mean follow-up of 12 years (5 to 30). The risk of revision for any reason was 17% at five years, 33% at ten years and 58% at 20 years. Aseptic loosening was the main reason for revision of the fixed-hinge knees while infection and fracture of the stem were the most common for the rotating-hinge implant. The risk of revision for aseptic loosening was 35% at ten years with the fixed-hinge knee, which has, however, been replaced by the rotating-hinge knee with a hydroxyapatite collar. The overall risk of revision for any reason fell by 52% when the rotating-hinge implant was used. Improvements in the design of distal femoral endoprostheses have significantly decreased the need for revision operations, but infection remains a serious problem. We believe that a cemented, rotating-hinge prosthesis with a hydroxyapatite collar offers the best chance of long-term survival of the prosthesis

1. The Moe plate has been used in 256 of 270 consecutive intertrochanteric fractures of the femur. There was an operative mortality of l8·8 per cent and an overall mortality of 20·7 per cent in a group averaging 75·2 years of age. 2. The method proved satisfactory, giving secure fixation and also approximation of the fragments by the lag action of the three large screws driven into the head. There was only one case of non-union. 3. In the survivors anatomical and functional results have been satisfactory in about 70 per cent, with half of these showing full functional recovery and the other half requiring only occasional use of a stick or crutch. 4. There are a few intertrochanteric fractures of the femur too comminuted for any form of internal fixation. Traction should be used in this group. 5. A varus deformity developed in about one half of the cases. This is consistent with a good functional result. 6. The main difficulty in these aged people has been survival. The problems have been discussed with suggestions that may perhaps reduce in part a mortality that seems inherent in this injury and at this age

In a consecutive series of 498 patients with 528 fractures of the femur treated by conventional interlocking intramedullary nailing, 14 fractures of the femoral neck (2.7%) occurred in 13 patients. The fracture of the hip was not apparent either before operation or on the immediate postoperative radiographs. It was diagnosed in the first two weeks after operation in three patients and after three months in the remainder. Age over 60 years at the time of the femoral fracture and female gender were significantly predictive of hip fracture on bivariate logistic regression analysis, but on multivariate analysis only the location of the original fracture in the proximal third of the femur (p = 0.0022, odds ratio = 6.96, 95% CI 2.01 to 24.14), low-energy transfer (p = 0.0264, odds ratio = 15.56, 95% CI 1.38 to 75.48) and the severity of osteopenia on radiographs (p = 0.0128, odds ratio = 7.55, 95% CI 1.54 to 37.07) were significant independent predictors of later fracture. Five of the 19 women aged over 60 years, who sustained an osteoporotic proximal diaphyseal fracture of the femur during a simple fall, subsequently developed a fracture of the neck. Eleven of the hip fractures were displaced and intracapsular and, in view of the advanced age of most of these patients, were usually treated by replacement arthroplasty. Reduction and internal fixation was used to treat the remaining three intertrochanteric fractures. Three patients developed complications requiring further surgery; five died within two years of their fracture

1. The case is reported of a girl born by normal delivery whose right lower limb showed reduplication of the femur below the single femoral head. 2. The tibia was absent but the ossific centres in the foot appeared to be normal. We are grateful to Processor Robert Roeaf for permission to publish details of this patient

An MR scan was performed on all patients who presented to our hospital with a clinical diagnosis of a fracture of the proximal femur, but who had no abnormality on plain radiographs. This was a prospective study of 102 consecutive patients over a ten-year period. There were 98 patients who fulfilled our inclusion criteria, of whom 75 were scanned within 48 hours of admission, with an overall mean time between admission and scanning of 2.4 days (0 to 10). A total of 81 patients (83%) had abnormalities detected on MRI; 23 (23%) required operative management. The use of MRI led to the early diagnosis and treatment of occult hip pathology. We recommend that incomplete intertrochanteric fractures are managed non-operatively with protected weight-bearing. The study illustrates the high incidence of fractures which are not apparent on plain radiographs, and shows that MRI is useful when diagnosing other pathology such as malignancy, which may not be apparent on plain films

1. A case of congenital arteriovenous aneurysm involving the left femur, with dangerous cystic changes in the shaft of the bone, is described. 2. After ligation of the anastomosing fistulae the radiological appearance of the femur became normal

1. A brief description is given of normal epiphysial growth of the human femur. 2. Some ways in which abnormality of the growth plates may affect the shape and length of the human femur are described. 3. The influence of the blood supply on growth is discussed with particular reference to the etiology and treatment of congenital coxa vara

This study investigates the use of porous biphasic ceramics as graft extenders in impaction grafting of the femur during revision hip surgery. Impaction grafting of the femur was performed in four groups of sheep. Group one received pure allograft, group two 50% allograft and 50% BoneSave, group three 50% allograft and 50% BoneSave type 2 and group four 10% allograft and 90% BoneSave as the graft material. Function was assessed using an index of pre- and post-operative peak vertical ground reaction force ratios. Changes in bone mineral density were measured by dual energy X ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanning. Loosening and subsidence were assessed radiographically and by histological examination of the explanted specimens. There was no statistically significant difference between the four groups after 18 months of unrestricted functional loading for all outcome measures

Our aim was to assess the local extent of osteocyte death in the proximal femur of 16 patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head. We performed histological examination of the femoral heads and cancellous bone biopsies from four regions of the proximal femur in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. A control group consisted of 19 patients with osteoarthritis. All histological specimens were examined in a blinded fashion. Extensive osteonecrosis was shown in the proximal femur up to 4 cm below the lesser trochanter in the group with osteonecrosis. There was an overall statistically significant difference in the extent of osteocyte death distal to the femoral head between the two groups (p < 0.001). We discuss the implications of these findings as possible contributing factors in regard to the early failure of total hip arthroplasty reported in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head

Between 1996 and 2003 six institutions in the United States and France contributed a consecutive series of 234 fractures of the femur in 229 children which were treated by titanium elastic nailing. Minor or major complications occurred in 80 fractures. Full information was available concerning 230 fractures, of which the outcome was excellent in 150 (65%), satisfactory in 57 (25%), and poor in 23 (10%). Poor outcomes were due to leg-length discrepancy in five fractures, unacceptable angulation in 17, and failure of fixation in one. There was a statistically significant relationship (p = 0.003) between age and outcome, and the odds ratio for poor outcome was 3.86 for children aged 11 years and older compared with those below this age. The difference between the weight of children with a poor outcome and those with an excellent or satisfactory outcome was statistically significant (54 kg vs 39 kg; p = 0.003). A poor outcome was five times more likely in children who weighed more than 49 kg

Biological fixation of cementless femoral implants requires primary stability by optimal fit in the proximal femur. The anatomy of the bone must then be known precisely. We analysed in vitro the accuracy of bone measurements of 32 femurs and compared the dimensions obtained from radiographs and CT scans with the true anatomical dimensions. Standard radiographs gave only a rough approximation of femoral geometry (mean difference: 2.4 +/- 1.4 mm) insufficiently accurate to allow selection of the best fitting prosthesis from a range of sizes and altogether inadequate to design a custom-made prosthesis. CT scans give greater accuracy (mean difference: 0.8 +/- 0.7 mm) in our experimental conditions, but in clinical practice additional sources of error exist

1. Sixty-three fractures of the femur occurring in forty-eight patients with Paget's disease are presented. 2. In patients with Paget's disease the femur is the bone most often fractured, although the risk of fracture is probably not much greater than that of the normal population. 3. Many femoral fractures in Paget's disease are spontaneous and are preceded by pain. Extension of a stress fracture is the most likely cause. 4. All eleven femoral neck fractures in this series failed to unite; it is suggested that neither operation nor prolonged conservative treatment is indicated. 5. Subtrochanteric fractures, if severely displaced, are best treated by intramedullary nailing. 6. Most shaft fractures may be satisfactorily treated by conservative means. Deformity of the shaft can be corrected in fractures treated by external splintage. 7. The time required for union has been neither unduly short nor unduly prolonged. 8. The long-term results in this series have been acceptable. Sarcomatous change as a complication of fracture was not observed

Our aim in this prospective study was to compare the bone mineral density (BMD) around cementless acetabular and femoral components which were identical in geometry and had the same alumina modular femoral head, but differed in regard to the material of the acetabular liners (alumina ceramic or polyethylene) in 50 patients (100 hips) who had undergone bilateral simultaneous primary total hip replacement. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scans of the pelvis and proximal femur were obtained at one week, at one year, and annually thereafter during the five-year period of the study. At the final follow-up, the mean BMD had increased significantly in each group in acetabular zone I of DeLee and Charnley (20% (15% to 26%), p = 0.003), but had decreased in acetabular zone II (24% (18% to 36%) in the alumina group and 25% (17% to 31%) in the polyethylene group, p = 0.001). There was an increase in the mean BMD in zone III of 2% (0.8% to 3.2%) in the alumina group and 1% (0.6% to 2.2%) in the polyethylene group (p = 0.315). There was a decrease in the mean BMD in the calcar region (femoral zone 7) of 15% (8% to 24%) in the alumina group and 14% (6% to 23%) in the polyethylene group (p < 0.001). The mean bone loss in femoral zone 1 of Gruen et al was 2% (1.1% to 3.1%) in the alumina group and 3% (1.3% to 4.3%) in the polyethylene group (p = 0.03), and in femoral zone 6, the mean bone loss was 15% (9% to 27%) in the alumina group and 14% (11% to 29%) in the polyethylene group compared with baseline values. There was an increase in the mean BMD on the final scans in femoral zones 2 (p = 0.04), 3 (p = 0.04), 4 (p = 0.12) and 5 (p = 0.049) in both groups. There was thus no significant difference in the bone remodelling of the acetabulum and femur five years after total hip replacement in those two groups where the only difference was in the acetabular liner

1. The advantages of internal fixation of trochanteric fractures of the femur are discussed. 2. It is suggested that a long oblique trifin nail driven across the fracture affords more rigid fixation than a nail-plate and facilitates earlier weight-bearing

The aim of this study was to assess a specific protocol for the treatment of patients with a parosteal osteosarcoma of the distal femur with limb salvage involving hemicortical resection and reconstruction using recycled pasteurised autograft and internal fixation. Between January 2000 and January 2010, 13 patients with a mean age of 26.5 years (17 to 39) underwent this procedure. All the tumours were staged according to Enneking’s criteria: there were eight stage IA tumours and five stage IB tumours. The mean follow-up was 101.6 months (58 to 142), and mean post-operative Musculoskeletal Tumour Society functional score was 88.6% (80% to 100%) at the final follow-up. All the patients had achieved bony union; the mean time to union was 11.2 months (6 to 18). Local recurrence occurred in one patient 27 months post-operatively. No patient had a pulmonary metastasis. A hemicortical procedure for the treatment of a parosteal osteosarcoma is safe and effective. Precise pre-operative planning using MRI is essential in order to define the margins of resection. Although it is a technically demanding procedure, gratifying results make it worthwhile for selected patients. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1275–9

Failure of massive knee endoprostheses implanted for malignant tumours of the distal femur in children presents a difficult problem. We present the results of rotationplasty undertaken under these circumstances in four boys. They had been treated initially at a mean age of 9.5 years for a stage-IIB malignant tumour of the distal femur by resection and implantation of a massive knee endoprosthesis. After a mean period of eight years and a mean of four operative procedures, there was failure of the endoprosthesis because of aseptic loosening in two and infection in two. Function was poor with a mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score of 7.5/30, and considerable associated psychological problems. At a mean follow-up of 4.5 years after rotationplasty there was excellent function with a mean score of 27.5/30 and resolution of the psychological problems