Longitudinal changes in patient-reported outcome measures following total hip arthroplasty and predictors of deterioration during follow-up: a seven-year prospective international multicentre study.

AIMS: The primary aim of this study was to quantify the improvement in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) following total hip arthroplasty (THA), as well as the extent of any deterioration through the seven-year follow-up. The secondary aim was to identify predictors of PROM improvement and deterioration. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 976 patients were enrolled into a prospective, international, multicentre study. Patients completed a battery of PROMs prior to THA, at three months post-THA, and at one, three, five, and seven-years post-THA. The Harris Hip Score (HHS), the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) Physical Component Summary (PCS), the SF-36 Mental Component Summary (MCS), and the EuroQol five-dimension three-level (EQ-5D) index were the primary outcomes. Longitudinal changes in each PROM were investigated by piece-wise linear mixed effects models. Clinically significant deterioration was defined for each patient as a decrease of one half of a standard deviation (group baseline). RESULTS: Improvements were noted in each PROM between the preoperative and one-year visits, with one-year values exceeding age-matched population norms. Patients with difficulty in self-care experienced less improvement in HHS (odds ratio (OR) 2.2; p = 0.003). Those with anxiety/depression experienced less improvement in PCS (OR -3.3; p = 0.002) and EQ-5D (OR -0.07; p = 0.005). Between one and seven years, obesity was associated with deterioration in HHS (1.5 points/year; p = 0.006), PCS (0.8 points/year; p < 0.001), and EQ-5D (0.02 points/year; p < 0.001). Preoperative difficulty in self-care was associated with deterioration in HHS (2.2 points/year; p < 0.001). Preoperative pain from other joints was associated with deterioration in MCS (0.8 points/year; p < 0.001). All aforementioned factors were associated with clinically significant deterioration in PROMs (p < 0.035), except anxiety/depression with regard to PCS (p = 0.060). CONCLUSION: The present study finds that patient factors affect the improvement and deterioration in PROMs over the medium term following THA. Special attention should be given to patients with risk factors for decreased PROMs, both preoperatively and during follow-up. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:768-778.

Evaluation of vitamin E-diffused highly crosslinked polyethylene wear and porous titanium-coated shell stability: a seven-year randomized control trial using radiostereometric analysis.

AIMS: Vitamin E-diffused, highly crosslinked polyethylene (VEPE) and porous titanium-coated (PTC) shells were introduced in total hip arthroplasty (THA) to reduce the risk of aseptic loosening. The purpose of this study was: 1) to compare the wear properties of VEPE to moderately crosslinked polyethylene; 2) to assess the stability of PTC shells; and 3) to report their clinical outcomes at seven years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 89 patients were enrolled into a prospective study. All patients received a PTC shell and were randomized to receive a VEPE liner (n = 44) or a moderately crosslinked polyethylene (ModXLPE) liner (n = 45). Radiostereometric analysis (RSA) was used to measure polyethylene wear and component migration. Differences in wear were assessed while adjusting for body mass index, activity level, acetabular inclination, anteversion, and head size. Plain radiographs were assessed for radiolucency and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were administered at each follow-up. RESULTS: In total, 73 patients (82%) completed the seven-year visit. Mean seven-year linear proximal penetration was -0.07 mm (sd 0.16) and 0.00 mm (sd 0.22) for the VEPE and ModXLPE cohorts, respectively (p = 0.116). PROMs (p = 0.310 to 0.807) and radiolucency incidence (p = 0.330) were not different between the polyethylene cohorts. The mean proximal shell migration rate was 0.04 mm per year (sd 0.09). At seven years, patients with radiolucency (34%) demonstrated greater migration (mean difference: 0.6 mm (sd 0.2); p < 0.001). PROMs were lower for patients with radiolucency and greater proximal migration (p = 0.009 to p = 0.045). No implants were revised for aseptic loosening. CONCLUSION: This is the first randomized controlled trial to report seven-year RSA results for VEPE. All wear rates were below the previously reported osteolysis threshold (0.1 mm per year). PTC shells demonstrated acceptable primary stability through seven years, as indicated by low migration and lack of aseptic loosening. However, patients with acetabular radiolucency were associated with higher shell migration and lower PROM scores. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:760-767.

Evaluation of in vivo wear of vitamin E-diffused highly crosslinked polyethylene at five years: a multicentre radiostereometric analysis study.

AIMS: The primary aim of this study was to compare the wear properties of vitamin E-diffused, highly crosslinked polyethylene (VEPE) and one formulation of moderately crosslinked and mechanically annealed ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (ModXLPE) in patients five years after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). The secondary aim was to assess the clinical results of patients treated with VEPE by evaluating patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), radiological evidence of fixation, and the incidence of mechanical failure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 208 patients (221 THAs) from four international centres were recruited into a prospective study involving radiostereometric analysis (RSA) and the assessment of clinical outcomes. A total of 193 hips (87%) were reviewed at the five-year follow-up. Of these, 136 (70%) received VEPE (vs ModXLPE) liners and 68 (35%) received ceramic (vs metal) femoral heads. PROMs and radiographs were collected preoperatively and at one, two, and five years postoperatively. In addition, RSA images were collected to measure PE wear postoperatively and at one, two, and five years after surgery. RESULTS: We observed similar bedding in one year postoperatively and wear two years postoperatively between the two types of liner. However, there was significantly more penetration of the femoral head in the ModXLPE cohort compared with the VEPE cohort five years postoperatively (p < 0.001). The only variables independently predictive of increased wear were ModXLPE (vs VEPE) liner type (ß = 0.22, p = 0.010) and metal (vs ceramic) femoral head (ß = 0.21, p = 0.013). There was no association between increased wear and the development of radiolucency (p = 0.866) or PROMs. No patient had evidence of osteolysis. CONCLUSION: Five years postoperatively, patients with VEPE (vs ModXLPE) and ceramic (vs metal) femoral heads had decreased wear. The rates of wear for both liners were very low and have not led to any osteolysis or implant failure due to aseptic loosening.

The relationship between mucosal cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and experimental radiation-induced mucositis.

Although cycloooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is upregulated by factors associated with oral mucositis, its role in the pathogenesis of mucositis has not been studied. We investigated the kinetics of mucosal COX-2 expression following radiation exposure, and assessed its relationship to the development of oral mucositis in an established animal model using immunohistochemical endpoints. While little or no COX-2 expression was observed in unirradiated mucosa or in tissue taken 2 days after radiation, COX-2 expression was dramatic on days 10 and 16, especially in submucosal fibroblasts and endothelium. The kinetics of COX-2 expression paralleled mucositis severity. A burst of angiogenic activity was seen on day 21 following peak COX-2 expression. The kinetics of COX-2 expression relative to mucositis progression suggests that COX-2 is not a primary driver of radiation injury, but instead plays an amplifying role.

Larger diameter femoral heads used in conjunction with a highly cross-linked ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene: a new concept.

The design of femoral and acetabular components of metal-on-polyethylene total hip arthroplasty implants has been dominated by the limitations of the wear properties of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). As a result, the commonest femoral head diameters used range from 22 to 32 mm, the latter producing maximal volumetric wear. Cross-linking has been shown to improve significantly the wear resistance of acetabular components when tested in vitro against conventional femoral head sizes (22-32 mm). We expanded the study of the wear behavior of 1 type of electron-beam cross-linked UHMWPE with femoral head diameters ranging from 22 to 46 mm. The simulated gait studies showed that wear was independent of head size for the range of femoral head sizes studied. Even for the 46-mm femoral head, wear was reduced significantly using criteria of gravimetric and geometric measurements and morphologic appearance of the machining marks out to 11 million cycles of simulated gait.

A new pin-on-disk wear testing method for simulating wear of polyethylene on cobalt-chrome alloy in total hip arthroplasty.

Hip simulator studies show that the wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene against a cobalt alloy head depends on the wear path, especially the combination of a predominantly linear wear direction on which is superimposed motions in different directions. We postulated that multidirectional motion was necessary to generate realistic wear rates in pin-on-disk testing. To assess this hypothesis, a new pin-on-disk tester was developed, capable of unidirectional and bidirectional motion. Unidirectional motion produced no detectable wear. The rectangular motion produced wear rates, surface morphologies, and wear particles consistent with human acetabular specimens. The results for 1 Hz and 2 Hz were similar.

A novel method of cross-linking ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene to improve wear, reduce oxidation, and retain mechanical properties. Recipient of the 1999 HAP Paul Award.

Increasing cross-linking has been shown in vitro and in vivo to improve markedly the wear resistance of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). The reduction in the mechanical properties of polyethylene under certain methods used to produce cross-linking has been a concern, however. These reductions are known to result from the processes used to increase the cross-link density and could affect the device performance in vivo. We present a novel method of increasing the cross-link density of UHMWPE in which UHMWPE is irradiated in air at an elevated temperature with a high-dose-rate electron beam and subsequently is melt-annealed. This treatment improves markedly the wear resistance of the polymer as tested in a hip simulator, while maintaining the mechanical properties of the material within national and international standards. This method leads to the absence of detectable free radicals in the polymer and, as a result, excellent resistance to oxidation of the polymer.

Reduced bone stress as predicted by composite beam theory correlates with cortical bone loss following cemented total hip arthroplasty.

Clinical and experimental evidence suggest that periprosthetic bone loss following total hip arthroplasty is caused in part by stress-shielding. Changes in bone stress in the proximal femur following implantation can be estimated with use of composite beam theory. We hypothesized that the degree of stress-shielding predicted by beam theory correlates with the magnitude of bone loss following cemented total hip arthroplasty. We analyzed cross sections from the proximal femur of 13 patients who had undergone unilateral cemented total hip arthroplasty. A matching implant was inserted contralaterally, and the cross-sectional properties of the implant and bone and the bone density were determined. Bone loss was calculated on the basis of differences between contralateral (control) and ipsilateral (remodeled) sections and correlated to several beam-theory parameters calculated from the control sections: implant rigidity, bone rigidity, ratio of implant to bone rigidity, and predicted decrease in bone stress. All parameters except implant rigidity were significantly correlated with bone loss (p < 0.05). Parameters that included implant and bone properties were more strongly correlated with bone loss than were those based on bone properties alone. The predicted decrease in bone stress explained 50-60% of the variance in bone loss. The data also indicated that patients were not likely to lose substantial amounts of bone unless the reduction in bone stress exceeded a threshold value. Although limited by a small and heterogeneous sample, these results indicate that beam-theory predictions correlate with the degree of femoral resorption and should be investigated further as a means to identify patients at high risk for bone loss.

Unified wear model for highly crosslinked ultra-high molecular weight polyethylenes (UHMWPE).

Crosslinking has been shown to improve the wear resistance of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene in both in vitro and clinical in vivo studies. The molecular mechanisms and material properties that are responsible for this marked improvement in wear resistance are still not well understood. In fact, following crosslinking a number of mechanical properties of UHMWPE are decreased including toughness, modulus, ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and hardness. In general, these changes would be expected to constitute a precursor for lower wear resistance, presenting a paradox in that wear resistance increases with crosslinking. In order to understand better and to analyze this paradoxical behaviour of crosslinked UHMWPE, we investigated the wear behavior of (i) radiation-crosslinked GUR 1050 resin, (ii) peroxide-crosslinked GUR 1050 resin and (iii) peroxide-crosslinked Himont 1900 resin using a bi-directional pin-on-disk (POD) machine. Wear behavior was analyzed as a function of crystallinity, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS), and molecular weight between crosslinks (Mc). The crosslink density increased with increasing radiation dose level and initial peroxide content. The UTS, YS, and crystallinity decreased with increasing crosslink density. While these variations followed the same trend, the absolute changes as a function of crosslink density were different for the three types of crosslinked UHMWPE studied. There was no unified correlation for the wear behavior of the three types of crosslinked UHMWPE with the crystallinity, UTS and YS. However, the POD wear rate showed the identical linear dependence on Mc with all three types of crosslinked UHMWPEs studied. Therefore, we have strong evidence to propose that Mc or crosslink density is a fundamental material property that governs the lubricated adhesive and abrasive wear mechanisms of crosslinked UHMWPEs, overriding the possible effects of other material properties such as UTS, YS and crystallinity on the wear behavior.

Importance of a thin cement mantle. Autopsy studies of eight hips.

The question whether thin cement mantles around cemented femoral components led to an increased frequency of cracks in the cement was asked. Microscopically, multiple cross sections of eight femurs retrieved at autopsy from clinically successful total hip replacements after prolonged in vivo service containing well fixed Harris Design 2 cemented femoral components were studied. None of the components were loose by radiographic criteria. All were fixed solidly when loaded in vitro in simulated stair climbing and gait, as assessed by high resolution micromotion sensors. The specimens were sectioned transversely at 5-mm increments. The cross sections were examined under a dissecting microscope at x 100. A thin mantle arbitrarily was defined as a mantle of less than 1 mm in thickness. The analysis of the contact radiographs showed that the routine anteroposterior and lateral radiographs underestimated the prevalence of thin cement mantles and mantle defects. Although overall on all the cross sections 9% of the aggregated cement mantles was classified as having thin cement, 92 of the 101 cement cracks occurred in areas of the mantles that were less than 1 mm thick.

Factors influencing stability at the interface between a porous surface and cancellous bone: a finite element analysis of a canine in vivo micromotion experiment.

Several factors contribute to the success of stable bony ingrowth into the porous coated surfaces of orthopaedic implants used in hip arthroplasty. Despite having good bony apposition, bony ingrowth might not occur if the relative motion between bone and implant is large. Therefore, determining the limiting micromotion value that inhibits stable bony ingrowth is important. From a previous canine in vivo micromotion study performed at our laboratory, this limiting value was found to be 20 microns. Initially, cementless orthopaedic implants are stabilized only by frictional forces at the bone-implant interface. Therefore, other parameters such as the coefficient of friction and the compressive force normal to the interface should be considered as important factors which stabilize the interface along with micromotion. The purpose of this analytical study was to elucidate how the stability at the bone-implant interface is influenced by various factors, namely, motion of the implant, the coefficient of friction, the degree of pres fit, and the modulus of the surrounding cancellous bone in determining the stability of the bone-implant interface. Nonlinear and linear finite element models which simulated the immediate postsurgical condition and the end point of the canine in vivo micromotion experiment, respectively, were used to this end. From the results of the finite element models it was possible to identify the displacement magnitude for which the implant slipped relative to the bone as the motion of the implant was increased incrementally. This was done for combinations of the coefficient of friction, press fit, and Young's modulus of cancellous bone. This was used as an indicator of the limiting implant motion value beyond which bony ingrowth will be inhibited. The stress distribution in the surrounding cancellous bone bed was also obtained from the results of the finite element analyses for different press-fit conditions. The results of the study indicated that under slight press-fit conditions, the implant slipped relative to bone for implant motions as low as 20 microns. For higher degrees of press fit and reasonable values for the coefficient of friction, no slip occurred for implant motions as much as 100 microns. Although higher degrees of press fit were theoretically conducive to better implant stability, the concomitant high stresses in the adjacent cancellous bone will tend to compromise the integrity of the press fit. This was also evident when the results of an analytical model with a lower degree of press fit correlated well with those of the canine in vivo experiment in which a higher press fit was used, suggesting a possibility of achieving a less than desired press fit during the process of implantation. Through this study the importance of factors other than implant motion was emphasized. The results of the study suggest that the limiting value of implant motion that inhibits bone ingrowth might vary with the degree of press fit for reasonable coefficients of friction.

In vivo skeletal responses to porous-surfaced implants subjected to small induced motions.

Cylindrical porous-coated implants were placed in the distal femoral metaphyses of twenty dogs and were subjected to zero, twenty, forty, or 150 micrometers of oscillatory motion for eight hours each day for six weeks with use of a specially designed loading apparatus. The in vivo skeletal responses to the different magnitudes of relative motion were evaluated. Histological analysis demonstrated growth of bone into the porous coatings of all of the implants, including those that had been subjected to 150 micrometers of motion. However, the ingrown bone was in continuity with the surrounding bone only in the groups of implants that had not been subjected to motion or that had been subjected to twenty micrometers of motion; in contrast, the implants that had been subjected to forty micrometers of motion were surrounded in part by trabecular bone but also in part by fibrocartilage and fibrous tissue, and those that had been subjected to 150 micrometers of motion were surrounded by dense fibrous tissue. Trabecular microfractures were identified around three of the five implants that had been subjected to forty micrometers of motion and around four of the five that had been subjected to 150 micrometers of motion, suggesting that the ingrown bone had failed at the interface because of the large movements. The architecture of the surrounding trabecular bone also was altered by the micromotion of the implant. The implants that had stable ingrowth of bone were surrounded by a zone of trabecular atrophy, whereas those that had unstable ingrowth of bone were surrounded by a zone of trabecular hypertrophy. The trabeculae surrounding the fibrocartilage or fibrous tissue that had formed around the implants that had been subjected to forty or 150 micrometers of motion had been organized into a shell of dense bone tangential to the implant (that is, a neocortex outside the non-osseous tissue).

Wear of polyethylene acetabular components in total hip arthroplasty. An analysis of one hundred and twenty-eight components retrieved at autopsy or revision operations.

We evaluated the rates of volumetric wear and the patterns of wear of 128 acetabular components retrieved during an autopsy or a revision operation between one and twenty-one years after total hip arthroplasty. Twenty-two all-polyethylene components were retrieved at autopsy from hips that had been functioning well at the time of death (Group A). The remaining 106 components--eighty-four all-polyethylene components (Group B) and twenty-two metal-backed components (Group C)--were retrieved during revision operations. All 128 components had been inserted with cement. The mean rate of volumetric wear, determined directly with a fluid-displacement method, was thirty-five cubic millimeters per year (range, eight to 116 cubic millimeters per year) for Group A, sixty-two cubic millimeters per year (range, eight to 256 cubic millimeters per year) for Group B, and ninety-four cubic millimeters per year (range, twelve to 284 cubic millimeters per year) for Group C. Multivariate regression analysis showed a significant relationship (p < 0.05) between the size of the femoral head and the calculated mean annual rate of volumetric wear. The rate of volumetric wear was highest in association with thirty-two-millimeter femoral heads and lowest in association with twenty-two-millimeter heads; according to linear regression analysis, this represented a 7.5 per cent increase (Group A) or a 10 per cent increase (Group B) in the rate of wear for every one-millimeter increase in the size of the head. Linear regression analysis also showed a significant relationship between the duration that the implant had been in situ and the rate of wear (p < 0.05), with the rate being highest initially after the operation and decreasing with an increasing duration in situ. With the numbers available, the patient's age and gender and the side of the arthroplasty did not have a significant relationship to the annual rate of volumetric wear. Increased thickness of the polyethylene was related to a decreased rate of wear (p < 0.05) in the group of metal-backed components, which had a 25 per cent increase in the rate of wear for every one-millimeter decrease in thickness, but not in the other groups. The estimated median annual rates of wear, after adjustment of confounding variables to a hypothetical constant set of median values for the parameters (duration in situ, 132 months; diameter of the femoral head, twenty-six millimeters; and thickness of the polyethylene, eight millimeters), were significantly different among the three groups of components (p < 0.05). Histological evaluation of the worn surfaces showed the predominant mechanisms of wear to be abrasion and adhesion rather than fatigue-cracking or delamination. The highly worn areas were polished to a glassy finish on gross examination, but scanning electron microscopy showed numerous multidirectional scratches along with fine, drawn-out fibrils with a diameter of one micrometer or less oriented parallel to each other. These fibrils are the most likely source of submicrometer wear particles. Thus, wear appeared to occur mostly at the surface of the components and to be due to large-strain plastic deformation and orientation of the surface layers into fibrils that subsequently ruptured during multidirectional motion.

Wear of retrieved cemented polyethylene acetabula with alumina femoral heads.

Four yttrium-stabilized alumina ceramic-on-polyethylene articulations obtained from patients who were undergoing revision surgery for sepsis (3) or recurrent dislocation (I) between 34 and 73 months were evaluated to assess their in vivo wear performance. The annual volumetric wear of the acetabular components determined directly by a fluid displacement method ranged from 58 to 140 mm3/y. Scanning electron microscope examination of these four ceramic heads revealed similar surface damage in all cases from a variety of causes. These included differential granular wear (alumina grains and yttrium-stabilized alumina grains at different depths), multidirectional scratches with heaped up boundaries, and incompletely sintered grains, as well as the formation of craters and separation of grain boundaries. The femoral heads in this small series of revision cases show that yttrium-stabilized alumina ceramic heads may develop surface irregularities from either manufacturing processes or in vivo use. The wear rates of this type of alumina-on-polyethylene articulation up to the time of revision were not substantially different from those found in other metal-on-polyethylene articulations retrieved at revision surgery.

Enhanced stability of uncemented canine femoral components by bone ingrowth into the porous coatings.

The following questions were answered in this study: (1) What is the initial stability of proximally porous-coated canine femoral components? (2) Does bone ingrowth occur under these conditions? (3) Is the stability enhanced by tissue ingrowth in vivo? The stability of proximally porous-coated femoral components of canine total hip arthroplasties after 6 months to 2 years of in vivo service in dogs was measured in vitro using displacement transducers under loads simulating canine midstance. This was compared with the stability of identical components under the same loading conditions immediately after implantation in vitro in the contralateral femurs. The femurs were then sectioned and bone ingrowth into the porous coatings was quantified. The results showed that immediately after implantation the implants can move as much as 50 microns, but that the bone ingrowth into porous coatings of canine femoral components can occur even under such conditions. These data also suggested that the relative motion existing at the time of insertion can be reduced to very small amounts (< 10 microns) by bone ingrowth.

Differences in stiffness of the interface between a cementless porous implant and cancellous bone in vivo in dogs due to varying amounts of implant motion.

To determine the mechanical properties of the interface between the tissue ingrowth into porous coatings and the implant, porous-coated cylindrical implants were inserted into the distal femur in 20 mature dogs and oscillated in vivo 8 hours per day for 6 weeks at fixed amounts of micromotion (0, 20, 40 and 150 microns). Applied torques and resulting displacements were recorded. The torsional resistance per unit angular displacement (TR/AD), reflecting the stiffness of the bone-porous coating interface, was 0.88 +/- 0.25 N-M/deg immediately after implantation in the 20-micron displacement group. It increased with time after surgery, reaching a maximum of 1.25 +/- 0.60 N-M/deg at 6 weeks. The TR/AD was lower initially (0.77 +/- 0.43 N-M/deg) in the 40-micron group and gradually decreased with time after surgery, reaching a maximum of 0.54 +/- 0.13 N-M/deg at 6 weeks. The TR/AD was even lower (0.24 +/- 0.10 N-M/deg) in the 150-micron group initially and remained the same (0.16 +/- 0.09 N-M/deg) with time after surgery. Histologic evaluation showed bone ingrowth in continuity with the surrounding bone in the 20-micron group consistent with the high stiffness values at sacrifice. In contrast, a mixture of fibrocallus and bone were found at the bone-porous coating interface in the 40-micron group, consistent with the intermediate stiffness values. In contrast, despite the fact that bone was found in the depth of the porous coating in the dogs in the 150-micron group, the low stiffness values were a reflection of fibrous tissue formation at the interface in that group, because of the large motion disrupting bony ingrowth at the bone-porous coating interface. By monitoring the torsional resistance per unit of angular displacement dynamically in vivo, it was possible to evaluate the mechanical properties of the bone-porous coating interface as tissue ingrowth proceeded. Twenty microns of oscillating displacement was compatible with stable bone ingrowth with high interface stiffness, whereas 40 and 150 microns of motion was not.

The Otto Aufranc Award. Skeletal response to well fixed femoral components inserted with and without cement.

Previous studies evaluating femoral remodeling after total hip arthroplasty have used clinical radiographs and dual energy xray absorptiometry. Limitation of these techniques make it impossible to quantify the magnitude of bone loss in terms of cortical thinning and cortical bone area and bone mineral density changes. Femoral cortical bone remodeling after cemented and cementless replacement was quantified and possible determinants of bone remodeling in terms of clinical and radiographic variables were evaluated. Forty-eight anatomic specimen femora from 24 patients with unilateral cemented and cementless hip replacements were analyzed. Cortical thickness, cortical bone area, and bone mineral density was assessed in 4 quadrants at 5 discrete levels. The maximum cortical bone loss by level was at the middle section for the cemented femurs and at the midproximal and middle sections for the cementless femurs. However, if one examines individual quadrants, the proximal medial cortex still represents the specific region of maximal bone loss for both types of implant fixation. The posterior cortex had substantially more bone loss, even in the diaphyseal levels, than had been previously appreciated. A strong correlation was noted between the bone mineral density of the control femur and the percentage decrease of bone mineral density in the remodeled femur. Based on this data, it seems that the less dense the bone is before hip replacement surgery, the greater the extent of bone loss after total hip arthroplasty regardless of the fixation type.

Loci of movement of selected points on the femoral head during normal gait. Three-dimensional computer simulation.

Wear of ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene and the subsequent lytic response to the particulate wear debris are the dominant problems in total joint arthroplasty surgery. Wear testing apparatus can play a vital role in the in vitro evaluation of the many factors involved in wear, such as head size, surface roughness, materials for the head, and new materials for the socket. Wear of ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene may be influenced by the wear path. For the related polymer, high-density polyethylene, the wear path is critical to wear magnitude. What is the actual path taken by a single point (or by multiple representative points) on the femoral head of a total hip arthroplasty as it passes through the gait cycle? The goal of this computer simulation study was to trace the paths of specific points on the femoral head as they moved against the polyethylene cup during a single cycle of normal gait to illustrate the motions occurring at the intraarticular surface of the hip joint. This study also yielded unusual data on the "distance traversed" by these points during a single gait cycle. It was found that there was not one path, but rather there were many, and the paths varied widely in both shape and length depending on the location on the femoral head. Moreover, the differences in excursion and direction at different sites during the loaded phase were great. In addition, distances traveled by different points on the femoral head of any given size varied by a factor greater than 2. Most of the points traced quasielliptical paths. This automatically means that the paths of neighboring points cross each other, creating multidirectional shear forces on the acetabular cup surface which may be important in the localization and extent of wear. The plots of traces of the points derived from this study can serve as benchmarks for the ability of hip simulators to reproduce the actual distances and paths of travel of individual points on the femoral head.

Long-duration metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasties with low wear of the articulating surfaces.

The 20-year performance of metal-on-metal hip articulations has not been reported. Five McKee-Farrar total hip prostheses and one Sivash prosthesis were obtained at revision surgery after a mean implantation time of 21.3 years. A radiographic, histologic, implant, and wear analysis was performed on these total hip implants with cobalt-chrome metal-on-metal articulations. All cases were associated with femoral component loosening, but the bearing surfaces performed remarkably well. The worst case estimate of combined femoral and acetabular linear wear was 4.2 microns per year, about 25 times less than that typically seen with polyethylene. Metal particles and foreign-body inflammation were seen in all cases, but the volume of reactive tissue was small compared with what is generally seen at revision of hips with a polyethylene acetabular bearing. This may be due to a reduced particle burden or a decreased inflammatory reaction to particulate metal, or both. In addition to articular wear, other sources of metal particles included femoral neck impingement on the acetabular rim, stem burnishing, and corrosion. Prosthetic hip reconstructions can fail for many reasons, including suboptimal femoral stem and/or acetabular cup design and/or fixation. By today's standards, the McKee-Farrar and Sivash stem and acetabular component designs are suboptimal; however, after more than 20 years of use, the metal-on-metal bearing surfaces in these cases demonstrated low wear and do not appear to be the cause of failure. Recent advances in total hip arthroplasty, which include improved implant design, materials, manufacturing, and fixation, combined with a better understanding of the mechanisms of implant loosening and failure, suggest that the cobalt-chrome metal-on-metal bearing be reexamined as an alternative to polyethylene when exceptional durability is required.