Porous tantalum rod implant is an effective and safe choice for early-stage femoral head necrosis: a meta-analysis of clinical trials

Abstract

Femoral head necrosis (FHN) is a debilitating disease which seriously affects the patients' quality of life, especially the young. The porous tantalum rod has the advantages of high volumetric porosity, low modulus of elasticity, and excellent osteoinduction, with exceptional biocompatibility and safety record in clinical application, which makes it an ideal choice for FHN patients. However, there has not been a systematic analysis for its efficacy and safety. This meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials with 256 participants was performed to investigate the efficacy and safety of porous tantalum rod, by means of comparing with vascularized or non-vascularized bone grafting. Porous tantalum has its advantages in functional evaluation of Harris Hip Score, with a significant lower incidence of femoral head collapse. The surgical blood loss is low and the operative time is short with no increase in complication rate. Our preliminary analysis provided that the porous tantalum rod was a less invasive method and was effective and well tolerant for early-stage FHN patients. Further specially designed clinical trials for long-term follow-up and socioeconomic assessment are needed before a final determination.