Stable fixation of an ultra-short femoral neck-preserving hip prosthesis: a 5-year RSA, DXA, and clinical prospective outcome study of 48 patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We previously showed promising primary stability and preservation of bone stock with the ultra-short neck-loading hip implant in total hip arthroplasty (THA). The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical outcome, implant stability, and bone mineral density (BMD). METHODS: 50 patients were treated with the ultra-short neck Primoris hip implant at baseline and 48 were available for evaluation at 5-year follow-up. 5 different patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) including hip-specific scores, disease-specific and generic quality of life outcome measures, and an activity score were used. Furthermore, implant stability using radiostereometric analysis (RSA) and assessment of periprosthetic BMD using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) were applied. RESULTS: By 1-year follow-up, all PROMs showed improvements and remained high at 5-year follow-up. After initial distal translation (subsidence) and negative rotation around the z-axis (varus tilt) the implant showed stable fixation at 5-year follow-up with no further migration beyond 12 months. In the regions of interest (ROI) 3 and 4, BMD remained stable. In ROI 2, further bone loss of 12% was found at 5-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: Clinical outcome including PROMs was satisfying throughout the 5-year follow-up period. The hip implant remains stable with both bone preservation and loss 5 years after surgery.

Projection of primary and revision hip arthroplasty surgery in Denmark from 2020 to 2050.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The incidence of primary and revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) has increased over the last decades. Previous forecasts from different healthcare systems have predicted a continuous increase. We present a forecast of both primary and revision surgery from 2020 to 2050 based on 25 years data from the healthcare system in Denmark. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrieved data from the Danish Hip Arthroplasty Register on 198,835 primary and 29,456 revision surgeries. Historical censuses and population forecasts were retrieved from Statistics Denmark. Logistic and Gompertz regression analysis was used to forecast incidence rates (IR) and total numbers in the next 30 years. RESULTS: Our forecast predicts an increase in IR of 3-9% and an increase in total numbers of primary THA of between 12% and 19% in 2050. For revision THA the IRs have reached a plateau but total numbers are predicted to increase by 19% in 2050. CONCLUSION: Our forecast shows that both primary and revision THA will increase in total numbers in the next decades, but the IR for primary THA is near its plateau and for revision THA the plateau has already been reached. The forecast may aid in healthcare resource planning for the decades to come.

Reduced survival of total knee arthroplasty after previous unicompartmental knee arthroplasty compared with previous high tibial osteotomy: a propensity-score weighted mid-term cohort study based on 2,133 observations from the Danish Knee Arthroplasty Registry.

Background and purpose - Both medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasties (UKA) and high tibial osteotomies (HTO) are reliable treatments for isolated medial knee osteoarthritis. However, both may with time need conversion to a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We conducted the largest nationwide registry comparison of the survival of TKA following UKA with TKA following HTO.Patients and methods - From the Danish Knee Arthroplasty Registry, aseptic conversions to TKA from UKA and TKA converted from HTO within the period of 1997-2018 were retrieved. The Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate the survival and hazard ratio (HR) for revision, considering confounding by indication utilizing propensity-score based inverse probability of treatment weighting (PS-IPTW).Results - PS-IPTW yielded a well-balanced pseudo-cohort (standard mean difference (SMD) < 0.1 for all covariates, except implant supplementation) of 963.8 TKAs following UKA and 1139.1 TKAs following HTO. The survival of TKA following UKA was significantly less than that of TKA following HTO with a 5-year estimated survival of 0.88 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.85-0.90) and 0.94 (CI 0.93-0.96), respectively. The differences in survival corresponded to an implant-supplementation adjusted HR of 2.7 (CI 2.4-3.1) for TKA following UKA compared with TKA following HTO.Interpretation - Previous UKA more than doubled the revision risk of a subsequent TKA compared with previous HTO. This potential risk should be considered in the shared treatment decision of patients who are candidates for both UKA and HTO.

Investigating the Effect of Perioperative Chlorzoxazone on Acute Postoperative Pain After Total Hip and Knee Replacement Surgery.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Severe preoperative and acute postoperative pain have been associated with the development of chronic postoperative pain. Chlorzoxazone (a muscle relaxant) has been suggested to enhance acute postoperative pain recovery, but the lack of larger randomized controlled trials has, however, questioned the continued use. Despite this, chlorzoxazone is still used for acute postoperative pain management following total knee replacement (TKR) or total hip replacement (THR). The current randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, clinical trial aimed to assess the effect of chlorzoxazone for postoperative pain management following TKR or THR. METHODS: A total of 393 patients scheduled for TKR or THR were included in the trial. Patients were assigned to 250 mg chlorzoxazone 3 times daily for the first 7 days postoperatively or to placebo. The primary outcome was pain after 5 m walk assessed 24 hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included changes in preoperative pain at rest, worst pain in the last 24 hours, and Oxford Knee or Hip Score compared with 12 months' follow-up. In addition, adverse events were assessed in the perioperative period. RESULTS: No significant differences were found for any of the outcome parameters after TKR or THR. As regards TKR or THR, no effects were demonstrated for pain after 5 m walk 24 hours after surgery (P>0.313), or for any of the secondary outcomes (P>0.288) or adverse events (P>0.112) in the group receiving chlorzoxazone compared with placebo. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrated no analgesic effects of postoperative chlorzoxazone administration compared with placebo on acute or chronic postoperative pain 12 months following TKR and THR.

An Ultra-Short Femoral Neck-Preserving Hip Prosthesis: A 2-Year Follow-up Study with Radiostereometric Analysis and Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry in a Stepwise Introduction.

BACKGROUND: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) with a diaphyseal stem may risk bone loss. In order to save proximal bone stock in young patients with a high activity level and a long life expectancy, the interest in short stems has evolved. The purpose of this prospective observational cohort study was to evaluate the fixation of, and bone remodeling around, the Primoris femoral neck-preserving hip implant. METHODS: Fifty younger patients with end-stage osteoarthritis were managed with the Primoris hip implant. We evaluated bone mineral density (BMD) using dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and implant migration using radiostereometric analysis (RSA). A region-of-interest (ROI) protocol for 4 ROIs was applied to assess BMD. The association between BMD and migration was evaluated to determine the fixation of the Primoris implant and bone remodeling in the proximal part of the femur. Follow-up evaluation was performed at regular intervals from day 1 (baseline) until 24 months after surgery. RESULTS: The major stem migrations were subsidence (Y axis; mean, 0.38 mm) at 6 weeks and varus tilt (rotation) (Z axis; mean, 0.93°) at 6 to 12 months. In ROI4 (the calcar area), a significant gain in bone was found with a mean difference of 4.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.8% to 7.4%; p < 0.02) at 24 months postoperatively. Significant bone loss was found in ROI1 and ROI2, with a mean difference of -4.9% (95% CI, -7.4% to -2.4%; p = 0.0003) and -8.9% (95% CI, -11.5% to -6.2%; p = 0.0001), respectively. Linear regression and multivariate regression analysis showed a significant negative association between maximal total point motion and BMD (p = 0.02, R = 15%; and p < 0.05, R = 26%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The Primoris component showed satisfactory primary stability with promising results at the 24-month follow-up. DXA scans showed limited stress-shielding with the proximal loading pattern of the Primoris. Better bone quality was associated with less implant migration. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Relationship between outcome scores and knee laxity following total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review.

Background and purpose - Instability following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is, according to all national registries, one of the major failure mechanisms leading to revision surgery. However, the range of soft-tissue laxity that favors both pain relief and optimal knee function following TKA remains unclear. We reviewed current evidence on the relationship between instrumented knee laxity measured postoperatively and outcome scores following primary TKA. Patients and methods - We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases to identify relevant studies, which were cross-referenced using Web of Science. Results - 14 eligible studies were identified; all were methodologically similar. Both sagittal and coronal laxity measurement were reported; 6 studies reported on measurement in both extension and flexion. In knee extension from 0° to 30° none of 11 studies could establish statistically significant association between laxity and outcome scores. In flexion from 60° to 90° 6 of 9 studies found statistically significant association. Favorable results were reported for posterior cruciate retaining (CR) knees with sagittal laxity between 5 and 10 mm at 75-80° and for knees with medial coronal laxity below 4° in 80-90° of flexion. Interpretation - In order to improve outcome following TKA careful measuring and adjusting of ligament laxity intraoperatively seems important. Future studies using newer outcome scores supplemented by performance-based scores may complement current evidence.

Bone remodelling of the proximal femur after total hip arthroplasty with 2 different hip implant designs: 15 years follow-up of the thrust plate prosthesis and the Bi-Metric stem.

INTRODUCTION: The thrust plate prosthesis (TPP) was introduced to preserve bone in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. We assessed the long-term results of hip arthroplasty in patients who received the TPP compared to a traditional intramedullary stem (Bi-Metric). METHODS: In this prospective observational cohort study, we evaluated bone mineral density (BMD) using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), radiological imaging and clinical outcome using Harris Hip Score (HHS). Twenty patients received the TPP (group A) and 18 patients received the Bi-Metric stem (group B). Baseline was the 1st postoperative day, and subsequent follow-up was performed at 6 months, 1, 2, 8, 12 and 15 years after surgery. A four regions of interest (ROI) protocol was developed to assess BMD. RESULTS: In ROI1, bone resorption was significantly higher for group A at 6 months with a mean difference of 10% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4-16; p = 0.003) and 8% (95% CI, 1-15; p = 0.03) at 8 years. Regarding ROI4, group A had a lesser decrease in general compared to group B. The radiological findings did not reveal any subsidence or detectable implant migration. HHS improved from 53 (23-69) to 93 (55-100) in group A and from 51 (24-72) to 94 (78-100) in group B. CONCLUSION: The TPP was not found to be inferior to the Bi-Metric stem regarding bone preservation. The decrease in BMD in ROI4 was greater in group B. Clinical and radiological results also revealed that the TPP was not inferior to the Bi-Metric stem.

Prior High Tibial Osteotomy Does Not Affect the Survival of Total Knee Arthroplasties: Results From the Danish Knee Arthroplasty Registry.

BACKGROUND: High tibial osteotomy (HTO) is a joint preserving treatment of unicompartmental osteoarthritis in the knee. In cases with insufficient or deteriorating clinical results patients may undergo a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The influence of prior HTO on TKA survival is debated. METHODS: We conducted a population-based registry study comparing 1044 primary TKAs in patients with prior HTO to 63,763 de novo TKAs inserted from 1997 to 2015. Implant survival was estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis with revision of any kind as endpoint. Patient and surgery characteristics, including choice of implant design, were compared and their influence on TKA survival was estimated by Cox regression. Finally, indications of revision were compared between the groups. RESULTS: TKA following HTO had an inferior survival with a 10-year estimated survival of 91% compared to 94% for de novo TKA, corresponding to a crude hazard ratio (HR) of 1.73 (P < .001). However, after adjustment for differences in gender and age this risk diminished (HR 1.19, P = .09). The choice of implant constraint was similar between the groups and in both groups posterior stabilized TKA was associated with inferior survival with an adjusted HR of 1.46 (P = .03) in post-HTO TKA when compared to cruciate-retaining TKA. CONCLUSION: TKA following HTO had a crude inferior survival when compared to TKA without prior surgery of any kind. The inferior survival was explainable by patient characteristics, defined by male gender and lower age, rather than the prior HTO. However, when the prior HTO resulted in the use of posterior stabilized TKA the survival decreased.

Preparation of the Femoral Bone Cavity for Cementless Stems: Broaching vs Compaction. A Five-Year Randomized Radiostereometric Analysis and Dual Energy X-Ray Absorption Study.

BACKGROUND: Short-term experimental and animal studies have confirmed superior fixation of cementless implants inserted with compaction compared to broaching of the cancellous bone. METHODS: Forty-four hips in 42 patients (19 men) were randomly operated using cementless hydroxyapatite-coated Bi-Metric stems. Patients were followed with radiostereometric analysis at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks, 1, 2, and 5 years, and measurements of periprosthetic bone mineral density at baseline, 1, 2, and 5 years. Complications during the study period and clinical outcome measures of Harris Hip Score were recorded at mean 7 years (5-8.8) after surgery. RESULTS: Absolute migrations of medio/lateral translations between the broaching group and the compaction group of mean 0.14 mm (standard deviation [SD] 0.10) vs mean 0.30 mm (SD 0.27) (P = .01) at 1 year, and of mean 0.13 mm (SD 0.10) vs 0.34 mm (0.31) (P = .01) at 5 years were different. Absolute valgus/varus rotations of mean 0.12° (SD 0.13°) in the broaching group were less than mean 0.35° (0.45°) in the compaction group (P < .01) at 1 year, but at 5 years no difference was observed (P = .19). Subsidence and retroversion were similar between groups at all follow-ups (P > .13). The compaction group had significantly less bone loss than the broaching group in Gruen zone 3 (distal-lateral to the stem) at 1 and 5 years. No further differences in bone mineral density changes were found between groups up to 5 years after surgery. Complications throughout the period and clinical outcome measures of Harris Hip Score were similar at 7 years (5-8.8) after surgery. CONCLUSION: We found increased migration when preparing the bone with compaction compared with broaching in cementless femoral stems.

Three Year RSA Evaluation of Vitamin E Diffused Highly Cross-linked Polyethylene Liners and Cup Stability.

Vitamin E diffusion into highly cross-linked polyethylene (E-XLPE) is a method for enhancing oxidative stability of acetabular liners. The purpose of this study was to evaluate in vivo penetration of E-XLPE using radiostereometric analysis (RSA). Eighty-four hips were recruited into a prospective 10-year RSA. This is the first evaluation of the multicenter cohort after 3-years. All patients received E-XLPE liners (E1, Biomet) and porous-titanium coated cups (Regenerex, Biomet). There was no difference (P=0.450) in median femoral head penetration into the E-XLPE liners at 3-years comparing cobalt-chrome heads (-0.028mm; inter-quartile range (IQR) - 0.065 to 0.047) with ceramic heads (-0.043mm, IQR - 0.143to0.042). The 3-year follow-up indicates minimal E-XLPE liner penetration regardless of head material and minimal early cup movement.

No superior performance of hydroxyapatite-coated acetabular cups over porous-coated cups.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hydroxyapatite (HA) coating is believed to improve bone-implant ingrowth and long-term survival of prostheses. Recent studies, however, have challenged this view. Furthermore, HA particles may produce third-body wear and initiate aseptic loosening of implants. We report the performance of HA- and porous-coated acetabular cups in a prospective randomized trial. METHODS: This was an 8-year follow-up study of our previously published prospective randomized study to compare clinical outcomes, survival, periprosthetic bone mineral density, migration, and wear rates of HA- and porous-coated acetabular cups. Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and Ein Bild Roentgen Analyse (EBRA) measurements were used. 100 patients who underwent unilateral cementless total hip arthroplasty were randomized to either porous-coated cups or HA-coated cups. Patients were examined preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 9 months, and also 1, 3, and 8 years after surgery. 81 patients were available for 8-year follow-up, 40 with porous-coated cups and 41 with HA-coated cups. RESULTS: Age, sex, bone mineral density, and clinical results (Harris hip score) were similar in the 2 groups. The survival, wear, and migration patterns of the cups were also similar in both groups. The results of periprosthetic bone mineral density scans in region of interest 2 was in favor of the porous-coated cups, but there were no differences between the 2 groups in all the remaining regions of interest. INTERPRETATION: HA coating had no statistically significant effect on clinical results, survival, wear, or migration at the 8-year follow-up.

No benefit of a proximal stem centralizer in cementing of a femoral prosthesis in human cadavers.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A proximal stem centralizer may be beneficial regarding cementing pressures, cement penetration, and stem alignment. We measured these parameters when cementing a mat-surfaced femoral component with and without the use of a proximal stem centralizer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 8 femoral prostheses with proximal centralizers and 8 femoral prostheses without proximal centralizers were cemented according to third-generation cementing technique in 8 pairs of embalmed cadaveric femora. We recorded intramedullary pressures (peak levels, the area under the pressure curves and mean pressure) with 6 pressure transducers during stem cementation. Computer tomographic scanning of specimens was performed to evaluate stem alignment after surgery. Thickness of the cement mantle, cement penetration, and stem centralization at the metaphyseal part of the femur were measured on cross sections using stereology. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in measured pressure and cement penetration values between the groups. There was similar cement distribution around the stems; however, in using a proximal centralizer, the cement mantle tended to be thinner laterally. Moreover, we found a larger variation in stem alignment on lateral projection in the proximal centralizer group. INTERPRETATION: No benefits regarding intramedullary pressures and cement penetration were obtained from cementation of a straight stem with a proximal stem centralizer. However, there was an increased risk of inferior stem positioning in the reamed medullary cavity using the centralizing device.

Detection of bony defects around cementless acetabular components in total hip arthroplasty: a DEXA study on 10 human cadavers.

BACKGROUND: We studied the ability of DEXA to detect bony defects around cementless acetabular components in total hip arthroplasty. The aim of our study was to provide a tool for detection and quantification of osteolytic lesions for the planning of revision cases. METHODS: We measured BMC in 10 human pelvis specimens retrieved from post mortem. We created standardized defects behind inserted acetabular components and compared the ash weights of the removed bone to the corresponding BMC measurements. RESULTS: We found a good correlation between the BMC differences measured and the corresponding ash weights. INTERPRETATION: We conclude that DEXA can detect even small defects in the bone adjacent to the cup.

DXA scanning of acetabulum in patients with cementless total hip arthroplasty.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility of bone mineral density (BMD) measurements of the periprosthetic bone in patients with hemispherical acetabular cups in cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA). Thirty patients were treated for primary osteoarthrosis with cementless THA. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning was performed with a pencil-beam bone densitometer (Norland XR-36). Accuracy and reproducibility was determined by double measurements of BMD in four regions of interest (ROI). The influence of patient postures including various pelvic inclination angles was evaluated as well. Pitman test for a combined netROI revealed a standard deviation ratio of 3.2 for the anterio-posterior scans related to the lateral position. The Wilkinson ROIs showed a high intraobserver agreement. With pelvic tilt increasing until 20 degrees , the precision of DXA scanning decreased. In conclusion, reproducibility of DXA scanning was high. This study demonstrated that the patients can be scanned in the supine position, and BMD measurement of the periacetabular bone can be performed using the Wilkinson model with four rectangular ROIs.