Abstract
BackgroundTotal hip arthroplasty (THA) with failure of tantalum rod implant for osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) will be the only choice for patients. However,it remains unknown whether tantalum rod implantation has an adverse effect on the survival time of implants following conversion to THA. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of conversion to THA in patients who were previously treated with implantation of a tantalum rod.MethodsThis study included 31 patients (39 hips), who underwent conversion to THA due to failure of core decompression with an implanted tantalum rod. Among these 31 patients, 26 patients were male and five patients were female. The mean age of these patients was 49.3 years old (range: 36–64 years old). The control group included 33 patients (40 hips), who underwent total hip replacement without tantalum rod implantation. The hip Harris score, implant wear, osteolysis, radiolucencies and surgical complications were recorded during the follow-up. The distribution of tantalum debris in the proximal, middle and distal periprosthetic femoral regions, radiolucent lines and osteolysis were analyzed on post-operative radiographs.ResultsThere were no significant differences in Harris score, liner wear and complications between the two groups (P > 0.05). Osteolysis and radiolucent lines more likely occurred in patients with tantalum debris distributed in three regions than in one or two regions (P < 0.05).ConclusionsThe mid-term clinical outcome of patients who underwent THA with tantalum rod implantation was not different from those without a tantalum rod, suggesting that tantalum debris did not increase the liner wear rate. However, the distribution of periprosthetic tantalum debris in the proximal, middle and distal femoral regions may increase the risk of femoral osteolysis and radiolucent lines.
Highlights
Total hip arthroplasty (THA) with failure of tantalum rod implant for osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) will be the only choice for patients
The mid-term follow up results of the implants have not been reported. It remains unknown whether tantalum rod implantation has an adverse effect on the survival time of implants following conversion to THA
We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and radiographic outcomes of the conversion to THA with a mid-term follow-up period of 5–10 years in patients previously treated with tantalum rod implantation
Summary
Total hip arthroplasty (THA) with failure of tantalum rod implant for osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) will be the only choice for patients. Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a progressive disease due to decreased vascular supply to the subchondral bone of the femoral head, resulting in osteocyte death and collapse of the articular surface. This disease typically affects adults in the third to fifth decades of life, The primary goal during the early stages of ONFH is to preserve the hip joint, and several techniques have been implemented [3,4,5]. Cracks to the femoral head, the narrowing of the joint space and the deterioration of joint function occur sequentially, and hip arthroplasty becomes the only remaining therapeutic option for these patients
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