Short-stem Hip Research Articles

Seating of the Femoral Stem after Washing versus Un-washing the Femoral Canal in Cementless Short Stem Hip Arthroplasty

Seating of the Femoral Stem after Washing versus Un-washing the Femoral Canal in Cementless Short Stem Hip Arthroplasty

Mid- to long-term periprosthetic bone density changes after cementless short stem hip arthroplasty in elderly: A clinical and radiological analysis

IntroductionShort stem prostheses were originally designed for younger and more active patients. In recent years, they have been increasingly offered to older patients. This study evaluates the mid-to long-term survival of a short stem prosthesis and the changes in periprosthetic bone density following implantation of a cementless short hip stem in patients over 60 years of age. Methods118 patients aged over 60 received short stem prostheses. Clinical examination included Harris Hip Score (HHS) and Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS). 93 patients were followed clinically for at least five years. 53 patients underwent dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and radiographic evaluation. Follow-up intervals were preoperative and postoperative (t0), at approximately six months (t1), at approximately two years (t2), and at approximately five years or later (t3). ResultsOver a mean 6.7-year observation period for all 118 patients, one stem revision occurred due to a traumatic periprosthetic stem fracture. The five-year survival rate for the endpoint survival of the Metha® stem in 95 at-risk patients is 99.2%. HHS improved significantly from t0 55.3 ± 11.5 (range 30–79) to t3 95.3 ± 8.6 (range 57–100) at a mean of 8.0 years (p < 0.001). HOOS improved significantly in each subscale (p < 0.001). Bone mineral density (BMD) was available for review in 53 patients after a mean of 7.1 years. BMD increased from t0 to t3 in region of interest (ROI) 3 (+0.4%) and ROI 6 (+2.9%) and decreased in ROI 1 (−10.3%), ROI 2 (−9.8%), ROI 4 (−5.3%), ROI 5 (−3.4%) and ROI 7 (−23.1%). ConclusionsThe evaluated short stem prosthesis shows a remarkably high survival rate in elderly patients, accompanied by excellent clinical results. Load transfer measurements show a metaphyseal-diaphyseal pattern with a trend towards increased diaphyseal transfer over the period observed.

Do all short stem types restore biomechanical parameters of the hip? Comparison according to femoral neck osteotomy levels.

There is no consensus on ideal short femoral stem design. A classification system proposed by Feyen and Shimmin divides short stems in two types according to femoral neck osteotomy levels: subcapital (IIIA) and standard (IIIB). The study aims to determine which design type is more successful in restoring native biomechanical parameters and whether stem type has an impact on clinical results. In this retrospective comparative study, patients that have undergone short stem hip arthroplasty were evaluated according to stem types: type IIIA (n = 52, 66.7%) (Mathys Optimys) and IIIB (n = 26, 33.3%) (Implantcast Aida and Smith & Nephew SMF). Pelvis X-rays were assessed in terms of femoral neck length, horizontal and vertical hip centres of rotation, horizontal and vertical femoral offsets, abductor lever arm lengths, leg lengths, and stem-shaft angles. Improvement in Harris hip scores, differences between post-operative and pre-operative measurements, and stem-shaft angles were evaluated and compared between two groups. Mean femoral neck resection (8.27 ± 6.68mm in IIIA and 15 ± 6.33mm in IIIB) was significantly different between both groups (p < 0.001). Harris hip scores were increased at post-operative six months in both groups with no difference (84.4 ± 6.4 and 84.6 ± 5.5, p = 0.4). The absolute values of differences between pre-operative and post-operative horizontal centres of rotation (p = 0.63), vertical centers of rotation (p = 0.75), horizontal femoral offsets (p = 0.78), vertical femoral offsets (p = 0.83), abductor lever arm distances (p = 0.63), and leg length (p = 0.21) measurements were not different between both groups. Stem positions were both varus with no statistically significant difference between groups (p = 0.14). We found no difference regarding restoration of biomechanical parameters between short stem designs with different levels of neck osteotomy. Additionally, short stem can mostly result in varus component positioning regardless of the level of neck osteotomy.

Short stem hip arthroplasty with the optimys prosthesis is a safe and effective option for obese patients: a mid-term follow-up multicenter study

IntroductionShort stems are a valuable option in young patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) because of their bone stock preserving properties facilitating revision hip arthroplasty. Although the effect of obesity on conventional THA is well studied, data about short stem THA in obese patients are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the influence of obesity on complications, revisions, and outcome after short stem THA.Materials and methodsThis multicenter, observational cohort study included patients undergoing short stem THA with the optimys prosthesis. Follow-up examinations were performed at specific intervals up to 7 years postoperatively. Operation characteristics, general and specific complications, revisions, VAS rest pain, VAS load pain, VAS patient satisfaction, and Harris Hip Score (HHS) were recorded and statistically compared between obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and non-obese (BMI < 30 kg/m2) patients.ResultsOf the 224 patients included with a mean follow-up of 87.2 months (range 81.9–104.0), 69 were assigned to the OB group and 155 to the non-OB group. A minimally invasive approach was significantly less often selected in obese patients (p = 0.049), whereas operating time and length of hospital stay were not significantly different. The rate of general and specific complications did not significantly differ between both groups. Survival of the optimys prosthesis was 99.1% at 7-year follow-up and one patient per group had to undergo revision surgery. VAS rest pain, load pain, and satisfaction improved from preoperatively to postoperatively in both groups without a significant difference between both groups. While the HHS was improved from preoperatively to postoperatively, obese patients showed a significantly lower HHS at the 7-year follow-up (p = 0.01) but still exhibited an excellent scoring above the PASS threshold.ConclusionShort stem THA with the optimys prosthesis is a safe and effective option also in obese patients with an excellent clinical outcome and a low complication rate.

Development and Finite Element (FE) analysis of a novel short hip stem concept

IntroductionIn order to improve the anchorage behavior of short hip stems, this development project aims at designing a short hip stem concept that preserves the femoral neck and minimizes interference with the physiological stress distribution of the femur. The new design will be evaluated according to ISO 7206-4 which is the standard for testing Implants for surgery. MethodsBasic CAD models based on an established short stem prosthesis were created and evaluated using finite element analysis. The best design was further developed to achieve a more deformable stem while maintaining stability. The model was validated through in vitro testing. ResultsThe “H-Beam” short stem showed a higher degree of deformation of approximately 142–144% compared to the established short stem. The FE model had a relative error of 0.98% and 1.07% compared to the in vitro tests. An operating procedure was outlined for this new short stem design. DiscussionThe FE model is deemed valid due to small differences in comparison to in vitro testing. The short-stem prosthesis is more flexible and can be easily adapted to individual anatomy during surgery. The prosthesis length is similar to conventional prostheses, but the new stem design could allow better and faster osteointegration while preserving the cancellous bone structure.

Ten-year follow-up and clinical outcome of a metaphyseal anchoring short hip stem prosthesis: a retrospective single-centre analysis.

Short stems for total hip arthroplasty are an alternative to traditional conventional long stems. Short stems are designed to facilitate minimal-invasive surgery, improve bone-stock preservation, and mimic a physiological load distribution. However, there is little evidence of the long-term outcome of short stems. This study aims to analyze the tenyear survival rates and clinical outcome of one specific metaphyseal short hip stem implant. We retrospectively analyzed the patient records of the patients who underwent a total hip arthroplasty with a monoblock partial collum sparing metaphyseal short hip stem prosthesis in 2008 and 2009 in our clinic. Patients were contacted, and clinical follow-up was recorded using the German version of the modified Harris Hip Score. Furthermore, complications, revision surgery, and post-operative radiographs were analyzed. Data from 339 primary implantations in 322 patients were retrieved. The mean follow-up was 10.6years. Seven patients underwent a revision. The tenyear survival rate with any revision surgery as the endpoint was 97.5%. The mean modified Harris Hip Score was 86 points (range 30 to 91 points). Five patients had an intraoperative fracture of the femur (1.6%). Two patients (0.6%) had a dislocation of the hip. The stem tip-to-cortex distance, measured in the anterior posterior view, was 2.6mm (range 0 to 8.3mm). The tenyear survival rate of our used monoblock partial collum sparing metaphyseal short hip stem implant is comparable to traditional stems for total hip arthroplasty.

Short-stem hip arthroplasty in Australia and the Netherlands: a comparison of 12,680 cases between the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR) and the Dutch Arthroplasty Register (LROI).

We compared the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR) and the Dutch Arthroplasty Register (LROI) regarding patient, prosthesis, and procedure characteristics as well as revision rates for uncemented short-stem total hip arthroplasties (THAs). All THAs with an uncemented short-stemmed femoral component performed between 2009 and 2021 were included from the AOANJRR (n = 9,328) and the LROI (n = 3,352). Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and multivariable Schemper's weighted Cox regression analyses with data from 2009-2021 and 2015-2021 were performed with overall revision as endpoint. In Australia, the proportion of male patients (51% vs. 40%), patients with ASA III-IV score (30% vs. 3.7%), BMI ≥ 30.0 (39% vs. 19%), and femoral heads of 36 mm (58% vs. 20%) were higher than in the Netherlands. Short-stem THAs in Australia and the Netherlands had comparable 10-year revision rates (3.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.9-4.0 vs. 4.8%, CI 3.7-6.3). Multivariable Cox regression analyses with data from 2009-2021 showed a higher risk for revision of short-stem THAs performed in the Netherlands (HR 1.8, CI 1.1-2.8), whereas the risk for revision was comparable (HR 0.9, CI 0.5-1.7) when adjusted for more potential confounders using data from 2015-2021. Short-stem THAs in Australia and the Netherlands have similar crude and adjusted revision rates, which are acceptable at 10 years of follow-up.

Short Stem versus Standard Stem Hip Arthroplasty

Background Minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty (MIS THA) has recently increased in popularity. Concurrently, newly developed short femoral components are being used. These short components may make insertion during MIS approaches easier and preserve more bone than traditional femoral stems, while providing a more anatomic stress distribution in the proximal femur. Aim and objectives To perform an evaluation and meta-analysis of all available trials and studies demonstrating the different clinical outcomes following cementless THR using short stem and standard stem in young patients. Subjects and Methods Published observational analytical studies (Case-control, case reference, cohort studies or systematic reviews) On the outcomes of short stem and standard stem total hip replacement. Trials which involve English papers from the year 2000 till 2020. Result We found 220 records, of them 90 unique records identified (duplicate, non English records and records before 2000 were removed) by the database searches, 65 records were excluded (not describing outcomes or inaccessible artilcles), leaving 25 studies that met all inclusion criteria. Conclusion Despite favorable medium-term revision rates suggested by observational studies, there remains a need for long-term RCTs, registry data, biomechanical analyses, and bone density measurement to affirm the benefits of short-stem hip arthroplasty.

Retrospective clinical and X-ray-based outcome analysis of a short-stem hip arthroplasty taking into account the operative learning curve over 7 years in the 3-year control course

IntroductionSelf-monitoring is crucial to work progressively with a high-quality standard. A retrospective analysis is a valuable tool for studying the postoperative outcome of a prosthesis and for evaluating the learning process for the surgeon.Materials and methodsThe learning process of one surgeon was analysed in 133 cases of hip arthroplasty. These were divided into seven groups representing the surgical years 2008–2014. Over the course of 3 postoperative years, a total of 655 radiographs were analysed at regarding three radiological quality parameters (centrum-collum-diaphyseal angle (CCD angle), intramedullary fit&fill ratio (FFR), and migration) and ancillary outcome parameters (Harris Hip Score (HHS), blood loss, operating time, and complications). This period was divided into five times: 1st-day post-op, 6 M, 12 M, 24 M, and 36 M. Bivariate Spearman's correlation analysis and pairwise comparisons were performed.ResultsThe total collective achieved a proximal FFR of over 0.8. The distal prosthesis tip migrated and was located on the lateral cortex within the first months. The CCD angle initially showed a variation with a subsequent constant course. The HHS showed a significant increase (p < 0.001) to over 90 points postoperatively. Over time, the operating time and blood loss decreased. Intraoperative complications existed only at the beginning of the learning phase. A learning curve effect can be determined for almost all parameters by comparing the subject groups.ConclusionsOperative expertise was shown to gain through a learning curve, whereby postoperative results corresponded to the system philosophy of the short hip stem prosthesis. The distal FFR and the distal lateral distance could represent the principle of the prosthesis, which overall could be an interesting approach for verification of a new parameter.

Do hip resurfacing and short hip stem arthroplasties differ from conventional hip stem replacement regarding impingement-free range of motion?

Total hip joint replacement (THR)is clinically well-established. In this context, the resulting range of motion (ROM)is crucial for patient satisfaction when performing joint movements. However, the ROM for THR with different bone preserving strategies (short hip stem and hip resurfacing) raises the question of whether the ROM is comparable with conventional hip stems. Therefore, this computer-based study aimed to investigate the ROM and type of impingement for different implant systems. An established framework with computer-aided design3D models based on magnetic resonance imagingdata of 19 patients with hip osteoarthritis was used to analyse the ROM for three different implant systems (conventional hip stem vs. short hip stem vs. hip resurfacing) during typical joint movements. Our results revealed that all three designs led to mean maximum flexion higher than 110°. However, hip resurfacing showed less ROM (-5% against conventional and -6% against short hip stem). No significant differences were observed between the conventional and short hip stem during maximum flexion and internal rotation. Contrarily, a significant difference was detected between the conventional hip stem and hip resurfacing during internal rotation (p = 0.003). The ROM of the hip resurfacing was lower than the conventional and short hip stem during all three movements. Furthermore, hip resurfacing shifted the impingement type to implant-to-bone impingement compared with the other implant designs. The calculated ROMs of the implant systems achieved physiological levels during maximum flexion and internal rotation. However, bone impingement was more likely during internal rotation with increasing bone preservation. Despite the larger head diameter of hip resurfacing, the ROM examined was substantially lower than that of conventional and short hip stem.

Learning Curve for Short-Stem Total HIP Arthroplasty through an Anterolateral Approach.

Background and Objectives: Short-stem total hip arthroplasty has become increasingly popular in recent years. While many studies have shown excellent clinical and radiological results, very little is known about the learning curve for short-stem total hip arthroplasty through an anterolateral approach. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the learning curve for short-stem total hip arthroplasty among five residents in training. Materials and Methods: We performed retrospective data analysis of the first 30 cases of five randomly selected residents (n = 150 cases) with no experience before the index surgery. All patients were comparable, and several surgical parameters and radiological outcomes were analyzed. Results: The only surgical parameter with a significant improvement was the surgical time (p = 0.025). The changes in other surgical parameters and radiological outcomes showed no significant changes; only trends can be derived. As a result, the correlation between surgical time, blood loss, length of stay, and incision/suture time can also be seen. Only two of the five residents showed significant improvements in all examined surgical parameters. Conclusions: There are individual differences among the first 30 cases of the five residents. Some improved their surgical skills faster than others. It could be assumed that they assimilated their surgical skills after more surgeries. A further study with more than 30 cases of the five surgeons could provide more information on that assumption.

Short hip stem for THA in avascular necrosis of the femoral head

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head or avascular necrosis of the femoral head (HKN) is acomplex disease that, without treatment, leads to infraction of the femoral head in most cases. In these cases, only replacement of the hip joint will help, although there is no clear recommendation of an arthroplasty type. In the last two decades, the treatment of primary and secondary coxarthrosis with short-shaft prostheses with different anchoring philosophies has increased. Since short-shaft fitting is apossible option especially in younger patients, the question arises about possible fittings of advanced HKN with these stem types, especially with metaphyseal anchorage. The aim of this study was to review the existing literature on the results of short stem prosthesis in HKN and to present the advantages and disadvantages of short stem prosthesis in osteonecrosis of the femoral head. This review analyzes the existing studies on short stem arthroplasty for HKN. Only a few studies exist that have analyzed clinical and radiologic outcomes of short stem replacement in HKN. The existing short- and medium-term results show mostly good outcomes. However, it is difficult to draw ageneral conclusion due to differences in stem design and fixation. Short stems with primary diaphyseal fixation do not show an increased risk of failed osseointegration or loosening. Constructions with primary metaphyseal fixation should undergo MRI to rule out the possibility of necrosis extending beyond the femoral neck.

Minimally Invasive Anterolateral Approach Total Hip Arthroplasty Using Bone Preserving Short Femoral Stem: Intermediate Term Clinical and Radiological Results

Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the intermediate term clinical and radiological results of a Bone preserving short stem hip implant being operated through a minimally invasive anterolateral hip approach. Methods: In 20 consecutive patients suffering from osteoarthritis with 25 affected hip joints (five cases were bilateral), the clinical and radiological results of 25 hip arthroplasties performed in one hospital between October 2009 and May 2014 through a minimally invasive anterolateral approach using a cementless short stem prosthesis type Aida and a cementless cup type Ecofit with a ceramic-on-ceramic pairing were evaluated prospectively. The median age of patients at time of surgery was 60 years (range, 42-71 years), 15 male (4 were bilateral) and 5 female patients (one was bilateral) were included in the study. The median clinical follow up was 30 months (range, 2-88 months) and the median radiological follow up was 30 months (range, 2-88 months). Results: Harris Hip Score improved from a median preoperative value of 53 to a median postoperative value of 96 (range, 73-100) at follow up. 22 hips (88%) showed an excellent postoperative Harris Hip Score, 2 hips (8%) a good postoperative Harris Hip Score and one hip (4%) a fair postoperative Harris Hip Score. Only two patients complained of postoperative thigh pain. Regarding patient satisfaction, 15 patients (60%) were very satisfied, 10 patients (40%) were satisfied. None was unsatisfied. Radiological analysis showed that 19 stems (76%) were with stable bony ingrowth, two cases (8%) showed stable fibrous ingrowth. Four cases need further follow up for proper evaluation of stem fixation. Conclusion: The intermediate term survival of the Aida short stem hip implant being operated through a minimally invasive anterolateral hip approach is very promising and achieving the goals of a standard hip arthroplasty.

Medium-term outcomes of short stems in total hip arthroplasty

Background Prosthetic surgery has shown good short-term results with the use of short stems, results comparable with the experience of conventional stems. The aim of this study was to investigate and describe the characteristics and clinical course of patients operated on with the short stem GTS in the medium term. Methods Between November 2010 and September 2014, 152 primary hip prostheses were operated on in 142 patients with a mean follow-up of 95.49 months (range 75–120). We analyzed the intraoperative and postoperative complications and the reviews performed during the follow-up. Results One intraoperative complications occurred; case in which a femoral calcar fracture occurred and a screw was required during the operation. The clinical evaluation at the end of the follow-up, according to the Merle D’Aubigne Scale, showed the mean value was 17.3684 (SD 0,79472), with a survival at the end of the follow-up of 99.3% of the placed GTS stems. Conclusions GTS short stems have shown good results after more than 6 years of follow-up, with comparable results to conventional uncemented stems. Short-stem hip arthroplasty is an advanced way to preserve bone stock while protecting soft tissue

Short Stem for Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) - Overview, Patient Selection and Perspectives by Using the Metha® Hip Stem System.

Short stem hip replacement has not only gained attention but also significance over the past decades. However, there still remains uncertainty regarding the correct indications for these stems. Even companies, producing implants, have varying recommendations that are more likely based on a well-meant advice than on statistically evaluated data. Thus, it is important to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a short stem prosthesis. The goal of this paper is to reveal some of the existing uncertainty in this field, by analyzing the Metha® short hip stem system. This paper does not only focus on general aspects but also discusses some more specific problems, such as avascular necrosis and post-rheumatic diseases, as well as hip dysplasia and coxarthrosis. The aim is also to convey the opportunity to indicate this type of implant for elderly and obese patients as well as for femoral misalignments following post-Perthes disease, post-traumatic deformities or other malpositions of the hip.

The morphology of the proximal femur in cementless short-stem total hip arthroplasty: No negative effect on offset reconstruction, leg length difference and implant positioning

BackgroundCorrect reconstruction of hip offset (HO) and leg length are important for clinical–functional outcome and patient satisfaction in total hip arthroplasty (THA). The morphology of the proximal femur can pose a risk for increased leg length difference (LLD) in cementless straight-stem THA. We therefore wanted to evaluate, if this is also applicable in THA with a cementless meta-diaphyseal short stem.MethodsIn a retrospective study, 106 patients (index surgery 2014–2019) with unilateral THA and a morphologically healthy hip as a reference (Kellgren–Lawrence ≤ 1) were included. The same cementless short stem with meta-diaphyseal fixation and cementless press-fit cup was implanted. The proximal femur was rated by Dorr’s classification, and subgroups were formed afterward. Measurements were carried out on preoperative and 3 months postoperative anterior–posterior radiographs of the pelvis. Kruskal–Wallis test, Fisher’s exact test and binary logistic regression were performed to evaluate the influence of the anatomical shape on postoperative leg length difference and offset reconstruction.ResultsThe Dorr type did not show any significance influence on LLD (p = 0.532), or postoperative difference in femoral offset (p = 0.243), acetabular offset (p = 0.106) and hip offset (p = 0.698). Stem alignment (p = 0.705) and canal fill indices (CFI I: p = 0.321; CFI II: p = 0.411; CFI III: p = 0.478) were also without significant differences. Logistic regression did not show any significant increased risk for a LLD ≥ 5 mm or ≥ 10 mm as well as HO ≥ 5 mm or ≥ 10 mm.ConclusionReconstruction of hip offset and postoperative leg length difference is not negatively influenced by Dorr type, canal flare index, cortical index and canal-to-calcar ratio in cementless short-stem THA. Implant positioning and canal fill are also not negatively affected by the anatomical shape of the proximal femur.Level of evidence: Level IV.

Preserved periprosthetic bone stock at 5 years post-operatively with uncemented short hip stem in both collared and collarless version

IntroductionPrevious bone density studies have generally shown bone resorption around both cemented and uncemented total hip arthroplasty (THA) stems. This is presumed to be due to stress shielding. Short stems have been introduced partly to preserve bone in the proximal femur by a more physiological loading of the bone. The purpose of this study was to evaluate bone remodeling around a short, fully hydroxyapatite-coated titanium stem that comes in a collared and collarless version.Patients and methodsA prospective cohort of 50 patients included in a study evaluating the Furlong Evolution stem has been followed for 5 years. Examination was done with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) postoperatively, at 1, 2 and 5 years. Clinical outcome was followed with radiography and both general and hip specific outcome measures.ResultsThe two versions of the stem behaved similarly regarding bone remodeling. After an initial decrease up to 1 year, bone mineral density (BMD) increased in all Gruen zones up to 2 years and at 5 years bone stock was still preserved compared with postoperatively (net BMD + 1.2% (95% CI − 0.4 to 2.8)). Increase in BMD occurred mainly in the greater trochanter and distally around the stem with a decrease in the calcar area. Both versions showed excellent clinical outcome up to 5 years.ConclusionThis short stem seems to preserve proximal bone stock up to 5 years, exhibiting similar behaviour both with and without a collar.Trial registration number and date of registrationClinicalTrials.gov, (identifier: NCT01894854). July 10, 2013.

Clinical and radiographic outcomes after total hip arthroplasty with the NANOS neck preserving hip stem: a 10 to 16-year follow-up study

BackgroundShort-stem Hip Arthroplasty (SHA) are increasingly implanted in recent years thanks to their potential advantage in preserving metaphyseal bone-stock. Among them, the NANOS® short-stem implant demonstrated satisfactory results to short and mid-term. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcome of the Nanos® short stem at a minimum follow-up of 10 years.MethodsSixty-seven patients aged 53 ± 20 years were enlisted in the study, for a total of 72 hips. Primary outcomes were survivorship of the implant and clinical outcome measured using the Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome scores (HOOS) and the Short Form Survey (SF12) questionnaire. The secondary outcome was a radiological evaluation calculating the inclination and the anteversion angle of the acetabular cup for each implant and investigating osteolysis, heterotopic ossifications and stem position.ResultsWe observed a 95.5% stem survivorship. The complication rate was 7.6% and three implants underwent revision because of an aseptic loosening, an infection and a periprosthetic fracture due to trauma.Among 58 patients (63 hips) evaluated in an outpatient visit 10–16 years after surgery, improvement in clinically relevant scores comparing with baseline was observed: HOOS score increased after surgery in all its subcategories (from 32.25 ± 14.07% up to 91.91 ± 9.13%) as well as SF12 which increased by more than 18 percentage points.On clinical assessment, the range of motion (ROM) was restored at follow-up, 1 patient (1.7%) showed a squeaking hip and 2 (3.4%) reported leg-length discrepancy. Neutral stem positioning was achieved in 58 hips and heterotopic ossifications occurred in 10 hips (16%).ConclusionsThe current study reports good clinical and radiological outcomes following NANOS® short-stem hip implant at minimum 10 years-follow-up. Since the high rate of stem survivorship, the low complication rate demonstrated and the overall patient satisfaction, our results suggest NANOS® neck-preserving prostheses should be considered as a valid alternative to standard implants.

French Hip & Knee Society classification of short-stem hip prostheses: Inter- and intra-observer reproducibility

IntroductionIn total hip replacement (THR), a short stem theoretically provides more physiological force transfer to the proximal femur, conserves bone stock and facilitates minimally invasive surgery. On the other hand, such implants involve a learning curve and incur risk of malpositioning or fracture and of secondary mobilization. There are several types of short stem, and classification is needed. Classifications exist, but are based more on implant length than on anchorage zone, and most have not been tested for reproducibility. The French Hip & Knee Society (SFHG) developed a short-stem classification based on anchorage zone inside the femur. The objectives of the present study were: (1) to present the classification, (2) to apply it to the short-stem models available in France and those widely used worldwide, and (3) to assess reproducibility. HypothesisThe SFHG short-stem classification enables reproducible comparison. Material and methodA short-stem classification according to anchorage zone was drawn up by an expert group. The stems and the classification were presented to 12 surgeons performing THR, who classified the stems according to the classification; a retest was performed 2 months later. ResultsThe classification is based on femoral stem anchorage site, in 5 types: type 1, cephalic; type 2, isolated cervical; type 3, Calcar femorale; type 4, metaphyseal; and type 5, conventional metaphyseal-diaphyseal, with shortened stems. Inter-observer reproducibility was 92.7% [95%CI: 91.7%–93.6%], with kappa 0.785 [95%CI: 0.755–0.814], and Lin test-rest concordance correlation coefficient 0.852 [95%CI: 0.836–0.869]. Intra-observer reproducibility was 94.0% [95%CI: 91.9%–96.1%], with kappa 0.820 [95%CI: 0.759–0.882], and Lin test-retest concordance correlation coefficient 0.820 [95%CI: 0.792–0.849]. DiscussionThis new classification enables femoral implants to be reproducibly compared according to anchorage zone. Level of evidenceIV; retrospective study without control group.

TREATMENTS FOR AVASCULAR NECROSIS OF THE FEMORAL HEAD USING SHORT-STEM HIP ARTHROPLASTY

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) develops when the bone in the head of the femur dies and gradually collapses due to the disruption of its blood supply. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is the standard treatment for patients with late-stage ONFH. However, there is uncertainty about the type of prosthesis design that provides the best outcome. During the last decade, despite the increasing number of researches on short-stem prostheses, it is still questionable whether they represents a risk factor for failure after implantation. The aim of this study was to review researches comparing the outcome of short-stem and conventional-stem arthroplasty in ONFH and to present the pros and cons of short-stem hip arthroplasty in osteonecrosis of the femoral head. The short- to medium-term results showed predominantly good outcomes. However, due to differences in the design of short stems and their fixation, it is hard to draw a general conclusion. Short stems with primary diaphyseal fixation do not reveal a high increased risk of failed integration or loosening. For designs with a primary metaphyseal anchorage, an MRI should be conducted to exclude that the necrosis exceeds the femoral neck.