Outcome of total hip arthroplasty as a salvage procedure for failed infected internal fixation of hip fractures

Background:

Failed infected internal fixation produces significant pain and functional disability. In infected internal fixation of hip fractures with partial or complete head destruction, total hip arthroplasty (THA) can be technically challenging; however, it restores hip biomechanics. The present study is to evaluate the results and assess the complications of THA following failed infected internal fixation of these fractures.

Materials and Methods:

A retrospective review of prospectively collected data in a tertiary healthcare center was performed of 20 consecutive patients of THA following failed infected internal fixation operated between September 2001 and November 2007. There were 11 dynamic hip screw failures for intertrochanteric fractures, 6 failed osteotomies following transcervical fractures, and 3 failed screw fixations for transcervical fractures.

Results:

The average age of the patients was 48.5 years (range 28-70 years) and the average followup period was 6.5 years (range 3.5-10.5 years). An indigenously designed cement spacer was used in a majority of patients (n = 15). The custom-made antibiotic impregnated cement spacer was prepared on-table, with the help of a K-nail bent at 130°, long stem Austin Moore''s prosthesis (n=1), Charnley''s prosthesis (n=1), or bent Rush nail (n=1). The antibiotic mixed cement was coated over the hardware in its doughy phase and appropriately shaped using an asepto syringe or an indigenously prepared spacer template. Nineteen of the 20 patients underwent two-stage revision surgeries. The average Harris hip score improved from 35.3 preoperatively to 82.85 postoperatively at the last followup. A significant difference was found (P < 0.0001). None of the patients had recurrence of infection.

Conclusions:

The results were comparable to primary arthroplasty in femoral neck fractures. Thus, THA is a useful salvage procedure for failed infected internal fixation of hip fractures.     

Results of uncemented distal locked prosthesis in revision hip arthroplasty with proximal femoral bone loss: A retrospective study

Introduction:

Management of bone loss is a challenge in revision total hip arthroplasty (THA). A retrospective review was performed to study the use of uncemented distal locked prosthesis in cases with proximal femoral bone loss.

Materials and Methods:

Uncemented stems with distal interlocking were used in 65 hips during revision THAs with 38 hips having Paprosky IIIB/IV defects between January 1998 and February 2004. There were 48 males and 17 females in the study with an average age of 53 years (range 30-80 years). Radiographic and clinical outcome evaluation using the Harris hip score (HHS) were performed.

Results:

An improvement in HHS (mean: 33 points) was observed at final followup (mean: 9 years). Regeneration of proximal bone stock was observed without signs of loosening or subsidence and none of the stems were revised. Three patients developed recurrent dislocation while one had a stem subsidence of 1cm following removal of interlocking bolts.

Conclusion:

Uncemented distal locked prosthesis provide adequate stability in revision THA, aiding the reconstruction of bony deficiencies while avoiding the disadvantages of fully porous or cemented implants.     

Shoulder function and pain level after revision of failed reverse shoulder replacement to hemiarthroplasty

Background:

The reverse total shoulder replacement has become a popular treatment option for cuff tear arthropathy and other shoulder conditions requiring arthroplasty in the setting of a deficient rotator cuff. Despite a revision rate of as much as 10%, to date, there are few reports of reverse replacement conversion to hemiarthroplasty, and none specifically examining shoulder function.

Materials and Methods:

Six patients with a reverse replacement that was dislocated, infected or loose were revised an average of 9.2 months after the reverse replacement. Two of the three patients that were dislocated also had a known deep infection. Patients with known infection were treated with explant of the reverse prosthesis and conversion to a preformed antibiotic spacer hemiarthroplasty. In three cases with gross loosening of the glenosphere without infection, treatment was performed with removal of glenosphere only, bone grafting of glenoid with allograft and conversion of humeral stem to hemiarthroplasty. Patients were evaluated with outcome scores and physical examination an average of 26.5 months after removal of the reverse prosthesis.

Results:

The average range of motion postoperatively was forward elevation 42.5 degrees and external rotation 1.7 degrees. The VAS pain score was 2.42 (range 0–6); simple shoulder test was 3.17 (range 1–5); and ASES score was 52.1 ± 8.5. There were no reoperations to date, and five patients had anterosuperior escape.

Conclusions:

Safe removal of a reverse replacement and conversion to hemicement spacer or hemiarthroplasty can provide pain relief in those patients with a dislocated or infected reverse replacement. However, the shoulder will likely have very poor function and anterosuperior escape postoperatively. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal treatment for the failed reverse shoulder replacement.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level IV.     

Cemented Bipolar Hemiarthroplasty Provides Definitive Treatment for Femoral Neck Fractures at 20 Years and Beyond

Background

Displaced femoral neck fractures frequently are treated with bipolar hemiarthroplasties. Despite the frequency with which bipolar hemiarthroplasty is used to treat these fractures, there are few long-term data.

Questions/purposes

We sought to evaluate (1) the cumulative incidence of revision for any reason of bipolar hemiarthroplasties at 20 years, and the proportion of patients who lived more than 20 years who still have the prosthesis in situ from the index arthroplasty, (2) the cumulative incidence of aseptic loosening at 20 years, and (3) the Harris hip score of the surviving patients at long term.

Methods

We performed 376 cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasties for displaced femoral neck fractures in 359 patients between 1976 and 1985. At a minimum of followup of 20 years (mean, 24 years; range, 20–31 years), 339 of 359 patients (94%) were deceased, leaving 20 patients in the study group. Of those, one patient was confirmed to be lost to followup and two others had radiographic followup only. Three hundred fifty-nine patients (99.2%) (376 of the original 379 hips) were followed until death, revision of the hemiarthroplasty, or for at least 20 years (of clinical followup). Bipolar hemiarthroplasty was performed for displaced femoral neck fractures. Cemented fixation was the standard of care between 1976 and 1985 at our institution. The mean age of the patients at the time of surgery was 79 years (range, 60–99 years). The cumulative incidence of revision, estimated with death as a competing risk, and radiographs were evaluated for signs of aseptic loosening by a surgeon not involved in the clinical care of the patients. Clinical function was evaluated with the Harris hip score. The mean age of the patients at the time of surgery was 79 years.

Results

The 20-year cumulative incidence of revision for any reason was 3.5% (95% CI, 1.6%–5.3%). Of the 20 patients who survived more than 20 years, seven had the implant intact. The 20-year cumulative incidence of revision for aseptic loosening was 1.4% (95% CI, 0.2%–2.6%). The mean Harris hip score in patients who were still living and patient who did not have revision surgery was 63 ± 22, however 13 of the 20 patients had undergone revision surgery.

Conclusions

The long-term survivorship of bipolar hemiarthroplasty prostheses used to treat displaced femoral neck fractures in the elderly was high, and the procedure can be considered definitive for the majority of elderly patients with a femoral neck fracture. In this series, 6% (20 patients, 339 of 359) of the patients survived more than 20 years after treatment of a femoral neck fracture with a bipolar hemiarthroplasty. Of those, 35% (seven of 20) survived with their index prosthesis in situ.

Level of Evidence

Level IV, therapeutic study.     

Primary cemented total hip arthroplasty: 10 years follow-up

Background:

Primary cemented total hip arthroplasty is a procedure for non-traumatic and traumatic affections of the hip. Long term follow-up is required to assess the longevity of the implant and establish the procedure. Indo-Asian literature on long term result of total hip arthroplasty is sparse. We present a 10-year follow-up of our patients of primary cemented total hip arthroplasty.

Materials and Methods:

We operated 31 hips in 30 patients with primary cemented total hip arthroplasty. We followed the cases for a minimum period of 10 years with a mean follow-up period of 12.7 years. The mean age of the patients was 60.7 years (range 37–82 yrs) male to female ratio was 2:1. The clinical diagnoses included - avascular necrosis of femoral head (n=15), sero positive rheumatoid arthritis (n=5), seronegative spondylo-arthropathy (n=4), neglected femoral neck fractures (n=3), healed tubercular arthritis (n=2) and post traumatic osteoarthritis of hip (n=2). The prostheses used were cemented Charnley’s total hip (n=12) and cemented modular prosthesis (n=19). The results were assessed according to Harris hip score and radiographs taken at yearly intervals.

Results:

The mean follow-up is 12.7 yrs (range 11-16 yrs) Results in all operated patients showed marked improvement in Harris hip score from preoperative mean 29.2 to 79.9 at 10 years or more followup. However, the non-inflammatory group showed more sustained long term improvement as compared to the inflammatory group, as revealed by the Harris hip score. Mean blood loss was 450ml (±3.7 ml), mean transfusion rate was 1.2 units (±.3). The complications were hypotension (n=7), shortening >1.5 cm (n=9), superficial infection (n=2) and malposition of prosthesis (n=1).

Conclusion:

The needs of Indian Asian patients, vary from what is discussed in literature. The pain tolerance is greater than western population and financial constraints are high. Thus revision surgery among Indian-Asian patients is less compared to western yard sticks.     

Hip arthroplasty in failed intertrochanteric fractures in elderly

Background:

Failed intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients are surgical challenge with limited options. Hip arthroplasty is a good salvage procedure even though it involves technical issues such as implant removal, bone loss, poor bone quality, trochanteric nonunion and difficulty of surgical exposure.

Materials and Methods:

30 patients of failed intertrochanteric fractures where hip arthroplasty was done between May 2008 and December 2011 were included in study. 13 were males and 17 were females with average age of 67.3 years. There were 2 cemented bipolar arthroplasties, 19 uncemented bipolar, 4 cemented total hip arthroplasty and 5 uncemented total hip arthroplasties. 16 patients had a trochanteric nonunion, which was treated by tension band principles. Total hip was considered where there was acetabular damage due to the penetration of implant.

Results:

The average followup was 20 months (range 6-48 months). Patients were followed up from 6 to 48 months with average followup of 20 months. None of the patients were lost to followup. There was no dislocation. All patients were ambulatory at the final followup.

Conclusion:

A predictable functional outcome can be achieved by hip arthroplasty in elderly patients with failed intertrochanteric fractures. Though technically demanding, properly performed hip arthroplasty can be a good salvage option for this patient group.     

Midterm survivorship and clinical outcome of INDUS knee prosthesis: 5 year followup study

Background:

INDUS knee implant has been designed as per the anatomical morphology of the Indian population and has shown good clinical outcome in short term studies. The purpose of the present study was to report the midterm survivorship and clinical outcome of this implant.

Materials and Methods:

Two hundred and twenty three primary total knee arthroplasties in 209 consecutive patients using the INDUS knee prosthesis were prospectively enrolled. There were 145 females (155 knees) and 64 males (68 knees) with a mean age of 69.95 years (range 42–86 years). Annual followup with clinical and radiological examination was conducted, and a survivorship analysis was done using the Kaplan–Meier analysis.

Results:

Mean followup was 5.8 years (range 5–6.5 years). Eleven patients died while eight were lost to followup and a total of 204 knees were available for followup. The mean knee flexion improved from preoperative 110.4° ± 11.24° (range 60°–130°) to 128.17° ± 8.32° (range 100°–140°) at the final followup. The mean knee score improved from 40.1 ± 10.7 to 90.3 ± 5.34 while the function score improved from 44.35 ± 12.9 to 89.58 ± 7.43. Two patient developed infection and required revision. The Kaplan–Meier analysis reported a survivorship of 98.6% (confidence interval 95.7–99.6%) at the end for 5 years for INDUS knee prosthesis.

Conclusion:

INDUS knee prosthesis has excellent survivorship with a good clinical outcome and low failure rate.     

Functional outcome following a large head total hip arthroplasty: A retrospective analysis of mid term results

Background:

One of the reasons that hip resurfacing and large head metal on metal (MOM) total hip arthroplasty (THA) became popular in Asia was the possible increased range of movement and thereby improved function of the hip joint. Due to concerns of MOM articulation an alternative bearing was sought. Hence, a shift from large head MOM to large head ceramic on ceramic (COC) was made. The aim of this study was to compare the functional outcome including range of motion (ROM) and dislocation rates following large head MOM and large head COC THA.

Materials and Methods:

Retrospectively, 39 primary THA with large head MOM with a mean age of 56 years (range 36-72 years) and average followup of 54 months (range 38-70 months) were compared with 23 primary THA with large head COC bearing with a mean age of 48 years (range 36-68 years) and an average followup of 18 months (range 12-26 months). Functional outcome was assessed using the Modified Harris Hip Score. Dislocation rate and ROM were compared.

Results:

Global ROM averaged 248 degrees with MOM group and 252 degrees with the COC group. One patient with metal bearing had dislocation at an average 3 year followup which required revision THA while there were no complications in the COC group. MHHS averaged 89 points in MOM and 94 in COC THR.

Conclusion:

This study has shown that large head ceramic on ceramic THA is a good alternative to large head metal on metal THA with comparable dislocation rates and range of movements and without complications of metallosis in Asian patients.     

Revision hip arthroplasty as a treatment of Vancouver B3 periprosthetic femoral fractures without bone grafting

Background:

It is conventionally considered that bone grafting is mandatory for Vancouver B3 periprosthetic femoral fractures (PFF) although few clinical studies have challenged the concept previously. The aim of the current study was to investigate the radiographic and functional results of Vancouver B3 PFF treated by revision total hip or hemiarthroplasty (HA) in combination with appropriate internal fixation without bone grafting.

Materials and Methods:

12 patients with Vancouver B3 PFF were treated by revision THA/HA without bone grafting between March 2004 and May 2008. There were nine females and three males, with an average age of 76 years. PFFs were following primary THA/HA in nine patients and following revision THA/HA in three. Postoperative followup was 5.5 years on average (range, 3.5-6.5 years). At the final followup, radiographic results were evaluated with Beals and Tower''s criteria and functional outcomes were evaluated using the Merle d’Aubigné scoring system.

Results:

All fractures healed within an average of 20 weeks (range, 12-28 weeks). There was no significant deformity and shortening of the affected limb and the implant was stable. The average Merle d’Aubigné score was 15.8. Walking ability was regained in 10 patients without additional assistance, while 2 patients had to use crutches. There were 2 patients with numbness of lateral thigh, possibly due to injury to the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. There were no implant failures, dislocation and refractures.

Conclusions:

Revision THA/HA in combination with appropriate internal fixation without bone grafting is a good option for treatment of Vancouver B3 periprosthetic femoral fractures in the elderly.     

Outcomes of dual-mobility acetabular cup for instability in primary and revision total hip arthroplasty

Background

The concept of a dual-mobility hip socket involves the standard femoral head component encased in a larger polyethylene liner, which in turn articulates inside a metal shell implanted in the native acetabulum. The aim of this study was to assess outcomes from using a Serf Novae^® Dual Mobility Acetabular cup (Orthodynamics Ltd, Gloucestershire, UK) to address the problem of instability in primary and revision total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Materials and methods

A retrospective review was carried out of all hip arthroplasties performed in a District General Hospital utilising the dual-mobility socket from January 2007 to December 2012. Clinical and radiological outcomes were analysed for 44 hips in 41 patients, comprising 20 primary and 24 revision THA. The average age of the study group was 70.8 years (range 56–84 years) for primary and 76.4 years (range 56–89 years) for revision arthroplasty. Among the primary THA, always performed for hip osteoarthritis or in presence of osteoarthritic changes, the reasons to choose a dual mobility cup were central nervous system problems such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke, dementia (10), hip fracture (5), failed hip fracture fixation (2), severe fixed hip deformity (2) and diffuse peripheral neuropathy (1). The indications for revisions were recurrent dislocation (17), aseptic loosening with abductor deficiency (4), failed hemiarthroplasty with abductor deficiency (2) and neglected dislocation (1).

Results

At a mean follow-up of 22 months (range 6–63 months), none of the hips had any dislocation, instability or infection and no further surgical intervention was required. Radiological assessment showed that one uncemented socket in a revision arthroplasty performed for recurrent dislocation had changed position, but was stable in the new position. The patient did not have complications from this and did not need any surgical intervention.

Conclusions

Even though postoperative hip stability depends on several factors other than design-related ones, our study shows promising early results for reducing the risk of instability in this challenging group of patients undergoing primary and revision hip arthroplasty.

Level of evidence

IV.     

Primary hemiarthroplasty for unstable osteoporotic intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly: A retrospective case series

Background:

The management of unstable osteoporotic intertrochantric fractures in elderly is challenging because of difficult anatomical reduction, poor bone quality, and sometimes a need to protect the fracture from stresses of weight bearing. Internal fixation in these cases usually involves prolonged bed rest or limited ambulation, to prevent implant failure secondary to osteoporosis. This might result in higher chances of complications like pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, pneumonia, and decubitus ulcer. The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of primary hemiarthroplasty in cases of unstable osteoporotic intertrochanteric femur fractures.

Materials and Methods:

We retrospectively analyzed 37 cases of primary hemiarthroplasty performed for osteoporotic unstable intertrochanteric fractures (AO/OTA type 31-A2.2 and 31-A2.3 and Evans type III or IV fractures). There were 27 females and 10 males with a mean age of 77.1 years (range, 62–89 years).

Results:

Two patients died due to unrelated cause (myocardial infarction) within 6 months of surgery and remaining 35 patients were followed up to an average of 24.5 months (range,18–39 months). The average surgery time was 71 min (range, 55–88 min) with an average intraoperative blood loss of 350 ml (range, 175–500 ml). Six patients needed blood transfusion postoperatively. The patients walked on an average 3.2 days after surgery (range, 2–8 days). One patient had superficial skin infection and one had bed sore with no other significant postoperative complications. One patient of Alzheimer’s disease refused to walk and had a poor result. A total of 32 out of 35 patients (91%) had excellent to fair functional results and 2 had poor result with respect to the Harris hip score (mean 84.8±9.72, range 58-97). One patient who had neurological comorbidity refused to walk post operatively and was labeled as failed result.

Conclusion:

Hemiarthroplasty for unstable osteoporotic intertrochanteric fractures in elderly results in early ambulation and good functional results although further prospective randomized trials are required before reaching to conclusion.     

Cementless hemiarthroplasty for femoral neck fractures in elderly patients

Objectives:

The use of cement is associated with increased morbidity and mortality rate in elderly patients, hence cementless hemiarthroplasty is suggested. We evaluated the results of cementless hemiarthroplasty for femoral neck fractures in elderly patients with high-risk clinical problems.

Materials and Methods:

Forty-eight patients (29 females, 19 males) with a mean age of 88 years (range: 78 to 102 years). having femoral neck fractures were treated with the use of cementless hemiarthroplasty. Porous-coated femoral stems were used in 30 patients (62%) and modular type femoral revision stems in 18 patients (38%). Bipolar femoral heads were used in all patients. Radiological follow-up after operation was done at the one, three, six months and annually.

Results:

The mean follow-up period was 4.2 years (range: 18 months to eight years). None of the patients died during hospitalization. Medical complications occurred in six patients (12%) within the follow-up period and four patients (8%) died within this period. Only two hips were converted to total hip arthroplasty due to acetabular erosion. Femoral revision was planned for one patient with a subsidence of > 3 mm. None of the patients had acetabular protrusion or heterotopic ossification. The mean Harris-hip score was 84 (range: 52 to 92). Dislocation occured in one patient (2%).

Conclusion:

Cementless hemiarthroplasty is a suitable method of treatment for femoral neck fractures in elderly patients with high-risk clinical problems especially of a cardiopulmonary nature. This method decreases the risk of hypotension and fat embolism associated with cemented hemiarthroplasty.     

Functional outcome after proximal humeral fractures treated with hemiarthroplasty

Objective

To evaluate functional outcome after hemiarthroplasty for displaced proximal humeral fractures and to review whether prosthesis type, intraoperative technique or previous ipsilateral shoulder surgery could affect the outcome.

Methods

We reviewed the medical records and radiographs of patients who had undergone hemiarthroplasty for proximal humeral fractures between 1992 and 2000. We identified 45 patients, 39 with acute fractures and 6 with fracture-related complications. One surgeon performed 17 surgeries (38%), and the rest were carried out by 11 other orthopedic surgeons. Using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Evaluation Form and the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index, we evaluated patients who had been followed for at least 2 years for residual shoulder pain, range of motion, strength, stability and function. The senior authors reviewed the radiographs.

Results

The mean age of the patients at presentation was 70 (range 46–95) years. The mean active forward elevation was 87°, abduction 63° and external rotation 22°; the mean internal rotation was to the L2 vertebra. Of the patients, 15% reported severe pain, and 25% were unable to sleep on the affected side. Patients with previous surgeries and those with intraoperative cuff tears were found to have more postoperative pain.

Conclusion

We conclude that soft tissue status and operative technique play an important role in late postoperative pain and range of motion. Hemiarthroplasty after failed open reduction and internal fixation is associated with inferior results. We were unable to show a difference in long-term outcome related to the prosthesis type.     

Cementless bipolar hemiarthroplasty in femoral neck fractures in elderly

Background:

Cemented hip arthroplasty is an established treatment for femoral neck fracture in the mobile elderly. Cement pressurization raises intramedullary pressure and may lead to fat embolization, resulting in fatal bone cement implantation syndrome, particularly in patients with multiple comorbidities. The cementless stem technique may reduce this mortality risk but it is technically demanding and needs precise planning and execution. We report the perioperative mortality and morbidity of cementless bipolar hemiarthroplasty in a series of mobile elderly patients (age >70 years) with femoral neck fractures.

Materials and Methods:

Twenty-nine elderly patients with mean age of 83 years (range:71-102 years) with femoral neck fractures (23 neck of femur and 6 intertrochanteric) were operated over a 2-year period (Nov 2005–Oct 2007). All were treated with cementless bipolar hemiarthroplasty. Clinical and radiological follow-up was done at 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and then yearly.

Results:

The average follow-up was 36 months (range 26-49 months). The average duration of surgery and blood loss was 28 min from skin to skin (range, 20–50 min) and 260 ml (range, 95–535 ml), respectively. Average blood transfusion was 1.4 units (range, 0 to 4 units) Mean duration of hospital stay was 11.9 days (7–26 days). We had no perioperative mortality or serious morbidity.We lost two patients to follow-up after 12 months, while three others died due to medical conditions (10–16 months post surgery). Twenty-four patients were followed to final follow-up (average 36 months; range: 26–49 months). All were ambulatory and had painless hips; the mean Harris hip score was 85 (range: 69–96).

Conclusion:

Cementless bipolar hemiarthroplasty for femoral neck fractures in the very elderly permits early return to premorbid life and is not associated with any untoward cardiac event in the perioperative period. It can be considered a treatment option in this select group.     

Uncemented allograft–prosthetic composite reconstruction of the proximal femur

Background:

Allograft–prosthetic composite can be divided into three groups names cemented, uncemented, and partially cemented. Previous studies have mainly reported outcomes in cemented and partially cemented allograft–prosthetic composites, but have rarely focused on the uncemented allograft–prosthetic composites. The objectives of our study were to describe a surgical technique for using proximal femoral uncemented allograft–prosthetic composite and to present the radiographic and clinical results.

Materials and Methods:

Twelve patients who underwent uncemented allograft–prosthetic composite reconstruction of the proximal femur after bone tumor resection were retrospectively evaluated at an average followup of 24.0 months. Clinical records and radiographs were evaluated.

Results:

In our series, union occurred in all the patients (100%; range 5-9 months). Until the most recent followup, there were no cases with infection, nonunion of the greater trochanter, junctional bone resorption, dislocation, allergic reaction, wear of acetabulum socket, recurrence, and metastasis. But there were three periprosthetic fractures which were fixed using cerclage wire during surgery. Five cases had bone resorption in and around the greater trochanter. The average Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score and Harris hip score (HHS) were 26.2 points (range 24-29 points) and 80.6 points (range 66.2-92.7 points), respectively.

Conclusions:

These results showed that uncemented allograft–prosthetic composite could promote bone union through compression at the host–allograft junction and is a good choice for proximal femoral resection. Although this technology has its own merits, long term outcomes are yet not validated.