The Long-Term Efficacy of Computed Tomography-Navigated Total Hip Arthroplasty: An 18-Year Follow-Up Study.

Backgroumd: There have been few reports on the long-term survival of computed tomography (CT)-navigated total hip arthroplasty (THA), which should lead to a lower incidence of dislocation and loosening. In this study, we examined survivorship, dislocation, and loosening incidence using plain radiographs over a minimum 15-year follow-up after CT-navigated THA. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 145 consecutive CT-navigated THAs for >15 years. We surveyed the angles placed in both the acetabular and femoral components, survivorship, the occurrence of dislocation, the revision rate, and the fixation grade of the acetabular component. RESULTS: The mean follow-up duration was 18.4 years. Overall, 73.8% of THAs were within the safe zone of Lewinnek. There were four dislocations (2.8%), with three occurring within 1 month after surgery and the other within 7 years after surgery. Revision THA was performed in one case (0.69%); consequently, the survival rate was 99.3%. The fixation grade was evaluated in 144 hips, and those were evaluated as having "no loosening". CONCLUSIONS: CT-navigated THA was speculated to contribute to long-term survivorship, with a low rate of loosening, even after 18 years of follow-up. It was speculated that the acetabular component was placed at an acceptable insertion angle and a suitable position for stable initial fixation.

Comparison of Intravenous Acetaminophen and Intravenous Patient-Controlled Analgesia Fentanyl after Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Opioids often need to be discontinued because they cause nausea, whereas the administration of intravenous acetaminophen (APAP) causes less nausea and vomiting. This study aimed to compare the effects of fentanyl-based intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) and intravenous APAP on pain and nausea after total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS: We prospectively investigated primary THA patients who underwent the anterolateral supine approach at four centers between October 2021 and October 2022. The patients (n = 178) were divided randomly into IV-PCA (n = 88) and APAP groups (n = 90). Rest pain, motion pain, and nausea were assessed using NRS scores. RESULTS: Compared with the APAP group, the IV-PCA group experienced significantly greater resting pain and nausea on postoperative day 1. A correlation was found between preoperative and postoperative pain. Postoperative nausea at 8 h was significantly correlated with pain at rest at 4 h (r = 0.193), 8 h (r = 0.194), day 1 (r = 0.245), and day 2 (r = 0.188) after surgery. Early postoperative pain and nausea correlated with subsequent pain and nausea. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous APAP is associated with less pain and nausea and is superior to IV-PCA.

Three-dimensional Evaluation of Abnormal Gait in Patients with Hip Osteoarthritis.

Indexes for objectively evaluating abnormal gait in hip osteoarthritis (OA) patients and determining effective interventions are unclear. We analyzed the abnormal gait of hip OA patients by focusing on movements of the trunk and pelvis to establish an effective evaluation index for each direction of motion. We studied 28 patients with secondary hip OA due to developmental dysplasia of the hip and 16 controls. The trunk and pelvic movements during gait were measured in the medial-lateral (x), vertical (y), and back-and-forth (z) directions by a triaxial angular accelerometer. Gait speed, steps, step length, muscle strength, range of motion, and timed up-and-go (TUG) test performance were measured. We determined the correlations between physical function and the index of abnormal gait in the hip OA patients. Movements other than trunk and pelvic motions in the y-direction indicated abnormal gait in the patients. Significant correlations were found between abnormal gait and range of motions (extension, internal rotation), TUG score, stride length, and steps. The TUG test, stride length and steps were important for evaluating abnormal gait in hip OA patients. Individual interventions for each movement direction are required.

Atypical femoral fracture associated with delayed union for which the cessation of alendronate and daily administration of teriparatide contributed to fracture healing: histopathological evidence of the enhancement in bone formation parameters.

A female patient with systemic lupus erythematosus developed an atypical femoral fracture of the left femur after 5 years of glucocorticoid and alendronate therapy. We performed intramedullary nailing. However, 1 week later, we performed a revision surgery using a locking plate and an iliac bone graft because of displacement at the fracture site. At this stage, alendronate was discontinued and daily teriparatide was introduced and continued for 24 months. Twenty months after the revision surgery, a re-revision surgery was performed with an iliac bone graft because of breakage of the locking plate and fracture non-union. Fracture healing was eventually obtained 15 months after the re-revision surgery. Biopsies of the ilium before the treatment and 20 months after daily teriparatide treatment were evaluated. The histology revealed that proliferating osteoid and cuboidal osteoblasts were detected around the osteoid tissue after teriparatide treatment. Bone histomorphometry findings showed that bone volume parameters and osteoid parameters prominently increased with the teriparatide treatment, but not bone resorption parameters. Laboratory findings revealed the elevation of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (24 U/L at 7 months) compared to its pre-teriparatide level (8.1 U/L) and increased bone mineral density of the hip (from -0.2 to 0.0 in T-score). These data indicated that the discontinuation of alendronate and initiation of teriparatide treatment activated bone-forming ability in our patient and may have contributed to fracture healing.

Tibiofemoral rotation is related to differences in the lateral femoral condyle configuration in both normal subjects and women with hip dysplasia: a three-dimensional analysis.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the morphological differences in the knee joint related to knee rotation angle in patients with hip dysplasia. These results may explain the anatomy of the knee in patients with hip dysplasia and aid in planning knee surgery. METHODS: We enrolled 73 women (146 legs, 35.6 ± 9.0 years) with bilateral hip dysplasia and 45 healthy women (90 legs, 49.0 ± 18.9 years) without lumbago, knee symptoms, or osteoarthritic findings of the knee or spine on plain radiographs. We examined the parameters affecting knee rotation angle, such as the condylar twist angle and femoral condyle measurements with a three-dimensional bone model using the correlation coefficients of each parameter. RESULTS: The condylar twist angle and the length of the posterior part of the lateral femoral condyle were statistically positively correlated with knee rotation angle in both the normal (condylar twist angle: r = 0.286, p = 0.007, posterolateral: r = 0.429, p < 0.001) and developmental dysplasia of the hip groups (condylar twist angle: r = 0.230, p = 0.033, posterolateral: r = 0.272, p = 0.005). Knee rotation angle had no statistical correlation with femoral neck anteversion in the developmental dysplasia of the hip group (r = 0.094, p = 0.264), but had a statistical correlation with femoral neck anteversion in the normal group (r = 0.243, p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Knee joint morphology is affected by hip dysplasia. We found that the length of the posterior part of the lateral femoral condyle was significantly positively correlated with knee rotation angle in both the normal and developmental dysplasia of the hip groups, and this finding indicates that a greater posterolateral dimension was associated with a greater knee rotation angle. These morphological knee joint differences in patients with hip dysplasia may help determine the alignment of prostheses in total knee arthroplasty.

Evaluation of anatomical pelvic parameters between normal, healthy men and women using three-dimensional computed tomography: a cross-sectional study of sex-specific and age-specific differences.

BACKGROUND: Sagittal spinal balance and standing posture are affected by pelvic morphology, especially pelvic incidence (PI). However, it is not difficult to identify the hip center because of overlap of the pelvis, image contrast, and soft tissue artifacts. Measurements of PI are not always suitable in all patients, especially those with osteoarthritis of the hip joint whose femoral head is nonspherical, subluxed, or dislocated. We measured PI, pelvic tilt (PT), and sacral slope (SS) as anatomical parameters using a novel three-dimensional measurement in order to compare the pelvic morphology between normal, healthy men and women. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated 108 Japanese subjects (55 men, 53 women) without low back or knee pain. We used the three-dimensional pelvis model adjusted to the anterior pelvic plane and measured the pelvic parameters. The subjects were stratified by age (< 50 versus ≥ 50 years) and sex. Intraobserver and interobserver reliabilities were calculated with intraclass correlation coefficients. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in PI, anatomical-PT, and anatomical-SS between sexes. There was a strong correlation between PI and anatomical-SS in men and women (R = 0.790 and 0.715, respectively). Values of anatomical-PT were lower, and values of anatomical-SS were greater among older subjects than among younger subjects; the value of PI was similar between younger and older subjects. Intraobserver and interobserver mean absolute differences were about 2 mm and 2°, respectively; the intraclass correlation coefficient was > 0.87. CONCLUSIONS: We found a strong correlation between PI and anatomical-SS in men and women. This novel measurement concept may be useful to estimate PI from anatomical-SS because the measurements of PI are not always suitable in all patients, especially those with osteoarthritis of the hip joint whose femoral head is not spherical or whose femoral head is subluxed or dislocated. This is the first report to describe the relationship between PI, anatomical-PT, and anatomical-SS as morphologic parameters with a high interclass correlation coefficient for intraobserver and interobserver reliabilities.

Accuracy of acetabular cup placement using CT-based navigation in total hip arthroplasty: Comparison between obese and non-obese patients.

BACKGROUND: In obese patients, malpositioning of the acetabular cup increases the risk of dislocation in total hip arthroplasty (THA). The aim of this study was to determine whether obesity affects the accuracy of acetabular cup positioning using a computed tomography (CT)-based navigation system. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 226 consecutive patients who underwent cementless primary THAs assisted by the CT-based hip navigation system. We divided the patients into three groups according to body mass index (BMI) and examined the difference between preoperative planning and postoperative implantation angles from CT data. RESULTS: There was no significant correlation between BMI and both inclination and anteversion differences (R = 0.028 and R = 0.045, respectively). There were no significant differences among the BMI < 25, 25 â‰¦ BMI < 30, and BMI â‰§ 30 groups (p value: 0.725, 0.934, respectively); between the BMI < 25 and BMI â‰§ 25 groups (p value: 0.542, 0.697, respectively); and between the BMI < 30 and BMI â‰§ 30 groups with regard to inclination and anteversion (p value: 0.859, 0.456, respectively). Moreover, similar findings were observed with regard to the distance between the preoperative planning and postoperative cup positioning for the transverse, anteroposterior, and craniocaudal axes of the pelvis. CONCLUSION: We found that the accuracy of acetabular cup placement using CT based-navigation in THA was not affected in obese patients. Therefore, THAs with a CT-based navigation system are considered useful in obese patients.

Evaluation of pelvic morphology in female patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip using three-dimensional computed tomography: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to measure pelvic morphology with respect to the pelvic incidence, pelvic tilt, and sacral slope using 3-dimensional measurement and to compare the pelvic morphology between the normal population and women with developmental dysplasia of the hip (center-edge angle, <25°). We hypothesized that the relationship between pelvic incidence, anatomical pelvic tilt, and anatomical sacral slope would be different between normal subjects and patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip. METHODS: We evaluated 61 healthy women without low back or knee pain and 71 patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip. We used the 3-dimensional pelvis model adjusted to the anterior pelvic plane and measured the pelvic parameters. To determine correlation, we used Pearson's coefficients. To evaluate variation, we used intraclass correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Pelvic incidence and anatomical pelvic tilt were significantly greater by 4° in the group with developmental dysplasia of the hip than in the normal group (p = 0.026 and < 0.001, respectively). The vertical distance from hip axis to the center of the S1 endplate was significantly greater in the group with developmental dysplasia of the hip than in normal group, that is, by 8 mm (p < 0.001). There was a strong correlation between pelvic incidence and anatomical sacral slope in both groups (R = 0.707 and 0.897, respectively). The intraobserver and interobserver mean absolute differences were about 2 mm and 2°, respectively, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was >0.88. CONCLUSION: Pelvic incidence and anatomical-pelvic tilt were significantly greater in patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip. We found a strong correlation between the pelvic incidence and anatomical sacral slope in both groups. Therefore, anatomical-sacral slope may be useful for estimating pelvic incidence because it is not easily measured, especially in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip joint.

The anteroposterior axis of the tibia is adjusted to approximately a right angle to the anterior pelvic plane in the standing position in patients with hip dysplasia similar to normal subjects: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: We previously described that the anteroposterior (AP) axis of the tibia is approximately perpendicular to the transverse axis of the anterior pelvic plane (APP) in the standing position in healthy subjects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the rotational alignment between the APP and clinical epicondylar axis and the AP axis of the tibia relative to pelvic coordination in the standing position in normal subjects and in women with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) to aid decision making for surgeons in the alignment of implants in total hip or knee arthroplasty. METHODS: This study included 77 Japanese women. Twenty-nine in the DDH group underwent curved periacetabular osteotomy; 48 women without lumbago and knee pain were included in the normal group. Femoral neck anteversion (FNA), condylar twist angle, and knee rotation angle were measured in femoral coordination. The angle between the femoral neck axis and clinical epicondylar axis (CEA) was measured, the transverse axis of the APP was also measured, and the angle between the AP axis of the tibia and transverse axis of the APP was calculated. RESULTS: There was a moderate negative correlation between FNA and CEA relative to the APP. This finding indicated a trend towards greater FNA leading to more internal rotation. Knee rotation angle (KRA) relative to the APP was 1.65° ± 5.58° in the normal group and - 2.65° ± 7.57° in the DDH group. This finding indicated that the tibia AP axis was approximately perpendicular to the APP in the standing position both in the normal and DDH groups. CONCLUSION: We found that the tibia AP axis was at approximately a right angle to the transverse axis of the APP in the standing position in both the normal and DDH groups, while the KRA was different in the normal and DDH groups. These findings may prove helpful for positional alignment investigations needed for implantation in total hip or knee arthroplasty and gait analysis.

Bone Formation Parameters of the Biopsied Ilium Differ between Subtrochanteric and Diaphyseal Atypical Femoral Fractures in Bisphosphonate-Treated Patients.

Atypical femoral fractures (AFFs) are defined as atraumatic or low-trauma fractures located in the subtrochanteric or diaphyseal sites. Long-term bisphosphonates (BPs) are administered to prevent fragility fractures in patients with primary osteoporosis or collagen diseases who are already taking glucocorticoids (GCs). Long-term BP use is one of the most important risk factors for AFFs. Its pathogenesis is characterized by severely suppressed bone turnover (SSBT), but whether the characteristics of patients are different regarding to location of fracture site remains unknown. In this study, we compared the characteristics and bone histomorphometric findings between subtrochanteric and diaphyseal sites in patients with BP-associated AFFs. Nine women with BP-associated AFFs were recruited, including 3 with systemic lupus erythematosus, 2 with rheumatoid arthritis, 2 with primary osteoporosis, 1 with polymyalgia rheumatica, and 1 with sarcoidosis. Patients were divided into the subtrochanteric group (n = 5; average age, 52 years; BP treatment, 5.9 years) and the diaphyseal group (n = 4; average age, 77 years; BP treatment, 2.6 years). Compared with the diaphyseal group, the subtrochanteric group had significantly higher daily GC doses (average, 10.9 vs. 2.3 mg/day) and significantly lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D levels (17.8 vs. 25.6 ng/mL). Bone histomorphometry of the biopsied iliac bone showed SSBT in 3 cases (subtrochanteric, n = 1; diaphyseal, n = 2). Osteoid volume and trabecular thickness were significantly lower in the subtrochanteric group than in the diaphyseal group. Bone formation was inhibited more severely in subtrochanteric than in the diaphyseal group due to the higher GC doses used.

The anteroposterior axis of the tibia is approximately perpendicular to the anterior pelvic plane in the standing position in healthy Japanese subjects.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that the clinical epicondylar axis (CEA) was approximately parallel to the transverse axis of the anterior pelvic plane (APP) in the standing position in normal subjects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the rotational alignment between APP in the standing position and the anteroposterior (AP) axis of the tibia relative to pelvic coordination in normal subjects. METHODS: This study included 68 healthy Japanese, 24 males and 44 females, without lumbago and knee pain. Femoral neck anteversion (FNA), condylar twist angle, and knee rotation angle were measured in femoral coordination. The angle between the femoral neck axis and CEA transverse axis of APP was also measured, and the angle between the AP axis of the tibia and the transverse axis of APP was calculated. The mean value of knee rotation angle was 0.23° and 2.06° in male and female subjects, respectively. RESULTS: There was a moderate positive correlation between FNA and the femoral axis angle relative to the transverse axis of APP. The knee rotation angle relative to APP was 0.33° and 1.56° in male and female subjects, respectively, and the tibia AP axis was approximately perpendicular to the transverse axis of APP in the standing position. Regarding validation, we obtained high interclass correlation coefficients for both intraobserver and interobserver reliability. CONCLUSION: We found that the knee rotation angle was almost 0° and that the tibia AP axis was approximately perpendicular to the CEA. The tibia AP axis was also approximately perpendicular to the transverse axis of the APP in standing position.

Manual calf massage and passive ankle motion reduce the incidence of deep vein thromboembolism after total hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism is one of the general complications following total hip arthroplasty, wherein various preventive treatments have been recommended. Several studies reported that venous thromboembolism incidence after total hip arthroplasty was similar in patients who were administered prophylaxis with a conventional mechanical procedure alone, and those who were administered pharmacological anticoagulation therapy. Therefore, the optimum methods of prophylaxis are still controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether manual calf massage and passive ankle motion could lower the risk for venous thromboembolism after total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 126 consecutive patients undergoing elective primary unilateral total hip arthroplasty wherein manual calf massage and passive ankle motion were performed after the surgery at our hospitals between January and October 2014. The 138 patients of the control group underwent total hip arthroplasty using the same surgical approach and pre- and postoperative protocols without this mechanical prophylaxis between January and December 2013. This mechanical prophylaxis was performed simultaneously 30 times during approximately 10 s; these procedures were repeated thrice immediately after total hip arthroplasty. Duplex ultrasonography was performed to observe the veins of both legs in all the patients on postoperative day 7. RESULTS: The incidence of deep vein thrombosis was 6.52% and 0.79% in the control and manual calf massage and passive ankle motion groups, respectively. The odds ratio for the manual calf massage and passive ankle motion groups was 8.72. Performing this mechanical prophylaxis reduced the incidence of venous thromboembolism after total hip arthroplasty. This mechanical prophylaxis is not only simple and easy, but is also safe and inexpensive. CONCLUSIONS: We therefore recommend that manual calf massage and passive ankle motion be performed in patients who will undergo total hip arthroplasty, if deep vein thrombosis does not exist before the surgery.

Usefulness of a novel method for the screening of deep vein thrombosis by using a combined D-dimer- and age-based index before total hip arthroplasty.

Plasma D-dimer level is clinically useful for diagnosing patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT). However, the cut-off value for the D-dimer level remains controversial and undetermined with regard to total hip arthroplasty (THA). The objective of this study was to estimate the efficacy of an age- and D-dimer-based index for diagnosing DVTs in asymptomatic cases before THA. We enrolled 224 patients with no symptoms associated with DVT before THA. All the patients underwent ultrasonography, and the plasma D-dimer level was recorded about 1 month preoperatively. The optimal cut-off value was calculated using multiple logistic regression and receiver operating curve analyses. DVTs were detected in 13 patients (5.8%) using ultrasonography. Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.13; p = 0.007) and D-dimer value (OR: 1.74; p = 0.003) were related to the existence of preoperative DVT. A DVT index (0.12 × age + 0.45 × the D-dimer value) of 8.15 was the most reasonable cut-off value according to the receiver operating curve analysis. This value caused 100% sensitivity and 70.1% specificity, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.905 (range, 0.836-0.975). For age and D-dimer value, the AUCs were 0.828 (0.749-0.907) and 0.716 (0.522-0.910), respectively. This study demonstrated that age and D-dimer index can be useful in screening patients for DVTs before THA. This DVT index is also easy to calculate and may be clinically significant.

Three-dimensional Assessment of Femoral Head Coverage in Normal and Dysplastic Hips: A Novel Method.

The acetabular coverage of the femoral head has been assessed in two-dimensions as the projected covered area or the covered angle on plain radiographs. We present a novel method of the three-dimensional assessment of femoral head coverage obtained by evaluating the covered volume of the femoral head in both normal and dysplastic hips. We also assessed the covered angles on the vertical slices passing through the center of the femoral head. The mean covered volume of the femoral head was 57.4% in normal hips and 26.6% in dysplastic hips. In dysplastic hips, the L-CE, A-CE, and P-CE angles were 7.7°, 21.8°, and 95.8°, respectively, while the acetabular angle was 27.5°. In normal hips, the CE angles were 34.0°, 56.8°, and 109.4°, respectively, while the acetabular angle was 7.2°. Our study suggests the usefulness of a novel 3D assessment for acetabular coverage of the femoral head. This assessment provided the precise 3D information necessary to diagnose hip dysplasia and assess the deficiency of acetabular coverage in these patients. Moreover, we may detect a cut-off between normal and dysplastic hips in the 3D assessment by assessing a large number of dysplastic hips both morphologically and using the new assessment.

Tranexamic acid for reduction of blood loss during total hip arthroplasty.

In this study, we evaluated the hemostatic effects of tranexamic acid (TNA), an antifibrinolytic drug, by examining the timing of its administration during total hip arthroplasty. One hundred seven patients being treated for osteoarthritis of the hip joint were randomly divided into 5 groups based on the timing of TNA administration. The intraoperative blood loss, postoperative blood loss, and hemoglobin of these patients who received TNA at different times during the procedure were monitored. We found that the intraoperative blood loss in the preoperative TNA administration groups was significantly lower than both control and postoperative TNA administration groups. Furthermore, 1 g TNA 10 minutes before surgery and 6 hours after the first administration was most effective for the reduction of blood loss during total hip arthroplasty.