We describe our technique and rationale using
hybrid fixation for primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) at the Hospital
for Special Surgery. Modern uncemented acetabular components have
few screw holes, or no holes, polished inner surfaces, improved
locking mechanisms, and maximised thickness and shell-liner conformity. Uncemented
sockets can be combined with highly cross-linked polyethylene liners,
which have demonstrated very low wear and osteolysis rates after
ten to 15 years of implantation. The results of cement fixation
with a smooth or polished surface finished stem have been excellent,
virtually eliminating complications seen with cementless fixation
like peri-operative femoral fractures and thigh pain. Although mid-term
results of modern cementless stems are encouraging, the long-term
data do not show reduced revision rates for cementless stems compared
with cemented smooth stems. In this paper we review the conduct
of a hybrid THA, with emphasis on pre-operative planning, surgical
technique, hypotensive epidural anaesthesia, and intra-operative
physiology. Cite this article:
Revision total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) is often challenging.
The aim of this study was to report on the clinical and radiological
results of revision arthroplasty of the elbow with the Latitude
TEA. Between 2006 and 2010 we used the Latitude TEA for revision in
18 consecutive elbows (17 patients); mean age 53 years (28 to 80);
14 women. A Kudo TEA was revised in 15 elbows and a Souter-Strathclyde
TEA in three. Stability, range of movement (ROM), visual analogue score (VAS)
for pain and functional scores, Elbow Functional Assessment Scale
(EFAS), the Functional Rating Index of Broberg and Morrey (FRIBM)
and the Modified Andrews’ Elbow Scoring System (MAESS) were assessed
pre-operatively and at each post-operative follow-up visit (six,
12 months and biennially thereafter). Radiographs were analysed
for loosening, fractures and dislocation. The mean follow-up was
59 months (26 to 89).Aims
Patients and Methods
There is no consensus about the best method of achieving equal
leg lengths at total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients with Crowe
type-IV developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). We reviewed our
experience of a consecutive series of patients who underwent THA
for this indication. We retrospectively reviewed 78 patients (86 THAs) with Crowe
type-IV DDH, including 64 women and 14 men, with a minimum follow-up
of two years. The mean age at the time of surgery was 52.2 years
(34 to 82). We subdivided Crowe type-IV DDH into two major types
according to the number of dislocated hips, and further categorised
them into three groups according to the occurrence of pelvic obliquity
or spinal curvature. Leg length discrepancy (LLD) and functional
scores were analysed.Aims
Patients and Methods
Aims. To determine the effect of a change in design of a cementless
ceramic acetabular component in fixation and clinical outcome after
total hip arthroplasty. Patients and Methods. We compared 342 hips (302 patients) operated between 1999 and
2005 with a relatively smooth hydroxyapatite coated acetabular component
(group 1), and 337 hips (310 patients) operated between 2006 and
2011 using a similar acetabular component with a macrotexture on
the entire outer surface of the component (group 2). The mean age of
the patients was 53.5 (14 to 70) in group 1 and 53.0 (15 to 70)
in group 2. The mean follow-up was 12.7 years (10 to 17) for group
1 and 7.2 years (4 to 10) for group 2. Results. No hips were revised due to complications related to bearing
fracture or to stem loosening. A total of 15 acetabular components
were revised for aseptic loosening in group 1 and two in group 2.
The survival rate for acetabular component aseptic loosening at
eight years was 96.8% (95% confidence interval (CI) 94.8 to 98.7)
for group 1 and 99.2% (95% CI 98.0 to 100) for group 2. The risk
for aseptic loosening of the acetabular component was higher in group
1 (p = 0.04, Hazard Ratio (HR) 4.99), dysplastic acetabula (p =
0.01, HR 4.12), components outside Lewinnek´s zone (p <
0.001,
HR 6.13) and in those with a hip
The primary aim of this study was to analyse the position of
the acetabular and femoral components in total hip arthroplasty
undertaken using an anterior surgical approach. In a prospective, single centre study, we used the EOS imaging
system to analyse the position of components following THA performed
via the anterior approach in 102 patients (103 hips) with a mean
age of 64.7 years (Aims
Patients and Methods
Computer hexapod assisted orthopaedic surgery (CHAOS), is a method
to achieve the intra-operative correction of long bone deformities
using a hexapod external fixator before definitive internal fixation
with minimally invasive stabilisation techniques. The aims of this study were to determine the reliability of this
method in a consecutive case series of patients undergoing femoral
deformity correction, with a minimum six-month follow-up, to assess
the complications and to define the ideal group of patients for
whom this treatment is appropriate. The medical records and radiographs of all patients who underwent
CHAOS for femoral deformity at our institution between 2005 and
2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Records were available for all
55 consecutive procedures undertaken in 49 patients with a mean
age of 35.6 years (10.9 to 75.3) at the time of surgery.Aims
Patients and Methods
An uncemented hemispherical acetabular component
is the mainstay of acetabular revision and gives excellent long-term
results. Occasionally, the degree of acetabular bone loss means that a
hemispherical component will be unstable when sited in the correct
anatomical location or there is minimal bleeding host bone left
for biological fixation. On these occasions an alternative method
of reconstruction has to be used. A major column structural allograft has been shown to restore
the deficient bone stock to some degree, but it needs to be off-loaded
with a reconstruction cage to prevent collapse of the graft. The
use of porous metal augments is a promising method of overcoming
some of the problems associated with structural allograft. If the defect
is large, the augment needs to be protected by a cage to allow ingrowth
to occur. Cup-cage reconstruction is an effective method of treating
chronic pelvic discontinuity and large contained or uncontained
bone defects. This paper presents the indications, surgical techniques and
outcomes of various methods which use acetabular reconstruction
cages for revision total hip arthroplasty. Cite this article:
A failed total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is often associated with
much bone loss. As an alternative to arthrodesis, the surgeon may
consider a custom-made talar component to compensate for the bone
loss. Our aim in this study was to assess the functional and radiological
outcome after the use of such a component at mid- to long-term follow-up. A total of 12 patients (five women and seven men, mean age 53
years; 36 to77) with a failed TAA and a large talar defect underwent
a revision procedure using a custom-made talar component. The design
of the custom-made components was based on CT scans and standard
radiographs, when compared with the contralateral ankle. After the
anterior talocalcaneal joint was fused, the talar component was
introduced and fixed to the body of the calcaneum.Aims
Patients and Methods
We describe the clinical and radiological results
of cementless primary total hip replacement (THR) in 25 patients
(18 women and seven men; 30 THRs) with severe developmental dysplasia
of the hip (DDH). Their mean age at surgery was 47 years (23 to
89). In all, 21 hips had Crowe type III dysplasia and nine had Crowe
type IV. Cementless acetabular components with standard polyethylene
liners were introduced as close to the level of the true acetabulum
as possible. The modular cementless S-ROM femoral component was
used with a low resection of the femoral neck. A total of 21 patients (25 THRs) were available for review at
a mean follow-up of 18.7 years (15.8 to 21.8). The mean modified
Harris hip score improved from 46 points pre-operatively to 90 at
final follow up (p <
0.001). A total of 15 patients (17 THRs; 57%) underwent revision of the
acetabular component at a mean of 14.6 years (7 to 20.8), all for
osteolysis. Two patients (two THRs) had symptomatic loosening. No
patient underwent femoral revision. Survival with revision of either
component for any indication was 81% at 15 years (95% CI 60.1 to
92.3), with 21 patients at risk. This technique may reduce the need for femoral osteotomy in severe
DDH, while providing a good long-term functional result. Cite this article:
Sustained intra-articular delivery of pharmacological agents is an attractive modality but requires use of a safe carrier that would not induce cartilage damage or fibrosis. Collagen scaffolds are widely available and could be used intra-articularly, but no investigation has looked at the safety of collagen scaffolds within synovial joints. The aim of this study was to determine the safety of collagen scaffold implantation in a validated A total of 96 rabbits were randomly and equally assigned to four different groups: arthrotomy alone; arthrotomy and collagen scaffold placement; contracture surgery; and contracture surgery and collagen scaffold placement. Animals were killed in equal numbers at 72 hours, two weeks, eight weeks, and 24 weeks. Joint contracture was measured, and cartilage and synovial samples underwent histological analysis.Objectives
Materials and Methods
Reconstruction of the acetabulum after failed total hip arthroplasty
(THA) can be a surgical challenge in the presence of severe bone
loss. We report the long-term survival of a porous tantalum revision
acetabular component, its radiological appearance and quality of
life outcomes. We reviewed the results of 46 patients who had undergone revision
of a failed acetabular component with a Paprosky II or III bone
defect and reconstruction with a hemispherical, tantalum acetabular
component, supplementary screws and a cemented polyethylene liner.Aims
Patients and Methods
We assessed the difference in hospital based and early clinical
outcomes between the direct anterior approach and the posterior
approach in patients who undergo total hip arthroplasty (THA). The outcome was assessed in 448 (203 males, 245 females) consecutive
patients undergoing unilateral primary THA after the implementation
of an ‘Enhanced Recovery’ pathway. In all, 265 patients (mean age:
71 years (49 to 89); 117 males and 148 females) had surgery using
the direct anterior approach (DAA) and 183 patients (mean age: 70
years (26 to 100); 86 males and 97 females) using a posterior approach.
The groups were compared for age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists
grade, body mass index, the side of the operation, pre-operative
Oxford Hip Score (OHS) and attendance at ‘Joint school’. Mean follow-up
was 18.1 months (one to 50).Aims
Patients and Methods
We present the medium-term clinical results of a reverse total
shoulder arthroplasty with a trabecular metal glenoid base plate. We reviewed 125 consecutive primary reverse total shoulder arthroplasties
(RTSA) implanted in 124 patients for rotator cuff arthropathy. There
were 100 women and 24 men in the study group with a mean age of
76 years (58 to 89). The mean follow-up was 32 months (24 to 60).
No patient was lost to follow-up.Aim
Patients and Methods
We evaluated an operative technique, described
by the Exeter Hip Unit, to assist accurate introduction of the femoral
component. We assessed whether it led to a reduction in the rate
of leg-length discrepancy after total hip arthroplasty (THA). A total of 100 patients undergoing THA were studied retrospectively;
50 were undertaken using the test method and 50 using conventional
methods as a control group. The groups were matched with respect
to patient demographics and the grade of surgeon. Three observers
measured the depth of placement of the femoral component on post-operative
radiographs and measured the length of the legs. There was a strong correlation between the depth of insertion
of the femoral component and the templated depth in the test group
(R = 0.92), suggesting accuracy of the technique. The mean leg-length
discrepancy was 5.1 mm (0.6 to 21.4) pre-operatively and 1.3 mm
(0.2 to 9.3) post-operatively. There was no difference between Consultants
and Registrars as primary surgeons. Agreement between the templated
and post-operative depth of insertion was associated with reduced
post-operative leg-length discrepancy. The intra-class coefficient
was R ≥ 0.88 for all measurements, indicating high observer agreement.
The post-operative leg-length discrepancy was significantly lower
in the test group (1.3 mm) compared with the control group (6.3
mm, p <
0.001). The Exeter technique is reproducible and leads to a lower incidence
of leg-length discrepancy after THA. Cite this article:
Modular junctions are ubiquitous in contemporary hip arthroplasty. The head-trunnion junction is implicated in the failure of large diameter metal-on-metal (MoM) hips which are the currently the topic of one the largest legal actions in the history of orthopaedics (estimated costs are stated to exceed $4 billion). Several factors are known to influence the strength of these press-fit modular connections. However, the influence of different head sizes has not previously been investigated. The aim of the study was to establish whether the choice of head size influences the initial strength of the trunnion-head connection. Ti-6Al-4V trunnions (n = 60) and two different sizes of cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) heads (28 mm and 36 mm; 30 of each size) were used in the study. Three different levels of assembly force were considered: 4 kN; 5 kN; and 6 kN (n = 10 each). The strength of the press-fit connection was subsequently evaluated by measuring the pull-off force required to break the connection. The statistical differences in pull-off force were examined using a Kruskal–Wallis test and two-sample Mann–Whitney U test. Finite element and analytical models were developed to understand the reasons for the experimentally observed differences.Objectives
Materials and Methods
This study provides recommendations on the position
of the implant in reverse shoulder replacement in order to minimise
scapular notching and osteophyte formation. Radiographs from 151
patients who underwent primary reverse shoulder replacement with
a single prosthesis were analysed at a mean follow-up of 28.3 months
(24 to 44) for notching, osteophytes, the position of the glenoid
baseplate, the overhang of the glenosphere, and the prosthesis scapular
neck angle (PSNA). A total of 20 patients (13.2%) had a notch (16 Grade 1 and four
Grade 2) and 47 (31.1%) had an osteophyte. In patients without either
notching or an osteophyte the baseplate was found to be positioned
lower on the glenoid, with greater overhang of the glenosphere and
a lower PSNA than those with notching and an osteophyte. Female patients
had a higher rate of notching than males (13.3% Based on these findings we make recommendations on the placement
of the implant in both male and female patients to avoid notching
and osteophyte formation. Cite this article:
Radiological assessment of total and unicompartmental
knee replacement remains an essential part of routine care and follow-up.
Appreciation of the various measurements that can be identified
radiologically is important. It is likely that routine plain radiographs
will continue to be used, although there has been a trend towards
using newer technologies such as CT, especially in a failing knee,
where it provides more detailed information, albeit with a higher
radiation exposure. The purpose of this paper is to outline the radiological parameters
used to evaluate knee replacements, describe how these are measured
or classified, and review the current literature to determine their
efficacy where possible.