Problems with cementless total knee arthroplasty at 11 years followup.

One hundred two patients with 131 consecutive cementless total knee arthroplasties that retained the posterior cruciate ligament were followed up prospectively. The average age of the patients was 58 years (range, 32-75 years). The mean followup on the surviving knee arthroplasties was 11 years (range, 7-16 years). The patellar component was metal-backed in the first 112 (85%) knees, cementless all-polyethylene in the last 17 (13%) knees, and two knees had a prior patellectomy. Forty-four metal-backed patellar components (48%) were revised; nine were loose, and 35 had polyethylene wear through. Thirteen femoral components (12%) were revised because of femoral abrasion from a failed metal-backed patellar component. No other femoral component was revised, loose, or had osteolysis develop. Nine (8%) tibial components had failure of ingrowth; eight have been revised. Partial radiolucencies occurred in 53% of the tibias. Thirteen (12%) small osteolytic lesions developed, all around screws or screw holes in the tibial components. At an average of 11 years followup, cementless fixation yielded mixed results: cementless femoral fixation was excellent and metal-backed patellar components had a 48% patellar revision rate. Cementless tibial components had an 8% aseptic loosening rate and a 12% incidence of small osteolytic lesions. Based on these results, the authors have abandoned cementless fixation in total knee arthroplasty.

Gout-induced arthropathy after total knee arthroplasty: a report of two cases.

Gout, although relatively rare in joint replacements, can present as an acute or chronic painful knee or hip arthroplasty. Gout and acute infection of a joint replacement can be difficult to differentiate, with the physical examination and laboratory study results frequently being similar. Both conditions can present with a rapid onset of joint pain, swelling, erythema, and constitutional symptoms, including fevers and malaise. Laboratory findings in both conditions often include an elevated leukocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein level. Negatively birefringent, needle-shaped crystals in the synovial fluid confirm the diagnosis of gout. The mistaken diagnosis of septic arthritis in a joint replacement with crystal-induced synovitis can lead to inappropriate open debridement or component removal. The current study includes a review of the literature and presents two cases of gout after total knee arthroplasty. These cases suggest that in situations of suspected sepsis without synovial fluid crystals, operative intervention is indicated with a presumed diagnosis of septic arthritis. The identification of chalky white or yellow deposits in the synovium or bone is highly suggestive of gout. The definitive diagnosis is made by polarized light histologic evaluation of these tissues. If these deposits are present in the absence of a positive preoperative culture, positive Gram stain for bacteria, or component loosening, component retention is indicated.

Posterior cruciate ligament-retaining total knee arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Although initial reports on posterior cruciate ligament-retaining total knee arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis have been encouraging, a high rate of late instability necessitating revision has been reported recently. The purpose of the present prospective study was to analyze the results of posterior cruciate ligament-retaining total knee arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: Seventy-two posterior cruciate ligament-retaining total knee arthroplasties in fifty-one patients with rheumatoid arthritis were studied prospectively. All procedures were performed with the Miller-Galante I prosthesis. Eighteen patients (twenty-four knees) died before the eight-year follow-up and one patient (two knees) was lost to follow-up, leaving forty-six knees (thirty-two patients) for review. These forty-six knees were evaluated clinically (with particular attention to posterior instability) and radiographically at annual intervals for a mean of 10.5 years (range, eight to fourteen years). RESULTS: Forty-four (95%) of forty-six knees had a good or excellent result at a mean of 10.5 years. However, nine (13%) of the original seventy-two knees had revision of the implant, with six of the revisions performed because of failure of a metal-backed patellar component. The rate of survival at ten years was 93% 4% with femoral or tibial revision for any reason as the end point and 81% 5% with any reoperation as the end point. There was no aseptic loosening in any knee. Posterior instability was identified clinically and/or radiographically in two (2.8%) of the original seventy-two knees; both unstable knees were in the same patient. CONCLUSION: Posterior cruciate ligament-retaining total knee arthroplasty yielded satisfactory clinical and radiographic results in patients with rheumatoid arthritis at intermediate-term follow-up (mean, 10.5 years). Therefore, we believe that it remains an excellent treatment option for these patients.

Long-term followup of the Miller-Galante total knee replacement.

One hundred seventy-two consecutive cemented Miller-Galante-I total knee arthroplasties in 155 patients were compared with 109 consecutive cemented Miller-Galante-II total knee arthroplasties in 92 patients. The average followup was 11 years (range, 8-15 years) and 9 years (range, 8-10 years), respectively. Of the 172 Miller-Galante-I arthroplasties, there have been 21 revisions; 15 patellar revisions; two included femoral revisions attributable to abrasion. Six additional well-fixed femoral and tibial components were revised: two for early instability, one for pain, one for periprosthetic fracture, and two for infection. No component had aseptic loosening or osteolysis. Using revision or loosening of any components as the end point, the Kaplan-Meier 10-year survivorship was 84.1% +/- 4.1%. Of the 109 Miller-Galante-II arthroplasties, there have been no component revisions, no aseptic loosening, and no osteolysis. Using revision or loosening of any components as the end point, the Kaplan-Meier 10-year survivorship was 100%. The Miller-Galante knee systems showed excellent fixation with no loosening and no osteolysis at as many as 15 years. Additionally, there have been no component revisions for late instability at as many as 15 years. Finally, the high prevalence of patellofemoral complications with the Miller-Galante-I design has been obviated with the Miller-Galante-II design.

Cementless acetabular reconstruction after acetabular fracture.

BACKGROUND: Total hip arthroplasty in patients with posttraumatic arthritis has produced results inferior to those in patients with nontraumatic arthritis. The use of cementless acetabular reconstruction, however, has not been extensively studied in this clinical context. Our purpose was to compare the intermediate-term results of total hip arthroplasty with a cementless acetabular component in patients with posttraumatic arthritis with those of the same procedure in patients with nontraumatic arthritis. We also compared the results of arthroplasty in patients who had had prior operative treatment of their acetabular fracture with those in patients who had had prior closed treatment of their acetabular fracture. METHODS: Thirty total hip arthroplasties were performed with use of a cementless hemispheric, fiber-metal-mesh-coated acetabular component for the treatment of posttraumatic osteoarthritis after acetabular fracture. The median interval between the fracture and the arthroplasty was thirty-seven months (range, eight to 444 months). The average age at the time of the arthroplasty was fifty-one years (range, twenty-six to eighty-six years), and the average duration of follow-up was sixty-three months (range, twenty-four to 140 months). Fifteen patients had had prior open reduction and internal fixation of their acetabular fracture (open-reduction group), and fifteen patients had had closed treatment of the acetabular fracture (closed-treatment group). The results of these thirty hip reconstructions were compared with the intermediate-term results of 204 consecutive primary total hip arthroplasties with cementless acetabular reconstruction in patients with nontraumatic arthritis. RESULTS: Operative time (p < 0.001), blood loss (p < 0.001), and perioperative transfusion requirements (p < 0.001) were greater in the patients with posttraumatic arthritis than they were in the patients with nontraumatic arthritis. Of the patients with posttraumatic arthritis, those who had had open reduction and internal fixation of their acetabular fracture had a significantly longer index procedure (p = 0.01), greater blood loss (p = 0.008), and a higher transfusion requirement (p = 0.049) than those in whom the fracture had been treated by closed methods. Eight of the fifteen patients with a previous open reduction and internal fixation required an elevated acetabular liner compared with one of the fifteen patients who had been treated by closed means (p = 0.005). Two of the fifteen patients with a previous open reduction and internal fixation required bone-grafting of acetabular defects compared with seven of the fifteen patients treated by closed means (p = 0.04). The thirty patients treated for posttraumatic arthritis had an average preoperative Harris hip score of 41 points, which increased to 88 points at the time of follow-up; there was no significant difference between the open-reduction and closed-treatment groups (p = 0.39). Twenty-seven patients (90%) had a good or excellent result. There were no dislocations or deep infections. The Kaplan-Meier ten-year survival rate, with revision or radiographic loosening as the end point, was 97%. These results were similar to those of the patients who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty for nontraumatic arthritis. CONCLUSIONS: The intermediate-term clinical results of total hip arthroplasty with cementless acetabular reconstruction for posttraumatic osteoarthritis after acetabular fracture were similar to those after the same procedure for nontraumatic arthritis, regardless of whether the acetabular fracture had been internally fixed initially. However, total hip arthroplasty after acetabular fracture was a longer procedure with greater blood loss, especially in patients with previous open reduction and internal fixation. Previous open reduction and internal fixation predisposed the hip to more intraoperative instability but less bone deficiency.

Cementless acetabular revision. Evaluation at an average of 10.5 years.

This study reviews the clinical and radiographic results of 138 consecutive cementless acetabular revisions in 131 patients performed for aseptic loosening at a mean of 10.5 years followup. Kaplan-Meier survivorship of these components was 84% at 11.5 years. Two components (1.8%) in two patients were considered aseptically loose based on radiographic criteria; one patient was symptomatic but the component was not revised because of the patient's poor health, and the other patient was asymptomatic. Pelvic osteolysis was present in 19 hips (17%), appearing at a mean of 103 months. All but two of these were small lesions (< 2 cm) at the periphery of the components. Nevertheless, the incidence of osteolysis has increased with time, and continued followup is warranted. Separation or fragmentation of the fiber-metal porous pads was uncommon (8.3%), but was significantly associated with pelvic osteolysis; this finding has not been reported before with this component. Five patients underwent late revision surgery (after 100 months), one for deep infection, one for periprosthetic femur fracture, and three for late recurrent dislocation. Harris hip scores averaged 81 points (good) at final followup, which is unchanged from the authors' last report on this group. Acetabular revision with a fiber-metal hemispherical component appears durable at a mean followup of more than 10 years.

The fate of stable cemented acetabular components retained during revision of a femoral component of a total hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: The decision as to whether to revise or retain a well fixed cemented acetabular component during revision of a femoral component is especially difficult; the rate of loosening of cemented acetabular components is high, whereas that of porous-coated acetabular components inserted during revision is low. However, removal of a well fixed cemented acetabular component can result in increased operative morbidity and cost and in loss of acetabular bone. Data that can be used to predict the long-term survival of retained well fixed cemented acetabular components are therefore needed. METHODS: We studied the five to thirteen-year clinical and radiographic results in a group of twenty-six consecutive patients in whom a well fixed cemented acetabular component had been retained during revision of a femoral component. Typical demographic data on the patients and information about the components were recorded, and the cemented acetabular components were graded as A through F, according to the system of Ranawat et al., at the time of the femoral revision. The average duration of follow-up was 8.4 years (range, 5.0 to 12.7 years). No patient was lost to follow-up. RESULTS: Four acetabular components (15 percent) had progressive radiolucency (at forty-eight, forty-eight, fifty-nine, and seventy-five months after the femoral revision) and were considered radiographically loose despite not being associated with symptoms. All four components were graded as either E or F at the time that they were retained during the femoral revision; radiographic loosening was significantly related to these two grades (p < 0.01). No acetabular component with a grade of A, B, C, or D loosened. The components that loosened had been in vivo for a relatively shorter, as opposed to longer, duration before the femoral revision compared with the components that did not loosen (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Retention of the well fixed cemented acetabular components was associated with good clinical results but with a 15 percent rate of loosening. Revision of a cemented acetabular component solely on the basis of the duration that it was in vivo or whether a previous revision had been done does not appear to be warranted. Our findings suggest that acetabular components with a grade of A, B, C, or D at the time of a femoral revision may be retained, as these components continued to function at the time of the five to thirteen-year follow-up in the current study.

Idiopathic hip instability. An unrecognized cause of coxa saltans in the adult.

The painful, snapping hip often presents a diagnostic dilemma having many potential etiologies. An understanding of the precise cause increases the potential for successful treatment. Five patients with no prior history of significant trauma were evaluated, all of whom had longstanding painful snapping in the groin and consistent symptoms of gait disturbance and increased pain in the provocative position of hip flexion, adduction, and internal rotation. Multiple prior tests and procedures had been nondiagnostic. Simple manual longitudinal traction under fluoroscopy showed subluxation with appearance of a vacuum sign in the symptomatic hip, whereas no such finding was observed on the asymptomatic side. This strongly suggests atraumatic hip instability as a previously unrecognized cause of the painful, snapping hip. The easily obtainable diagnostic traction radiograph is described.

Revision of the acetabular component without cement after total hip arthroplasty. A follow-up note regarding results at seven to eleven years.

The results of revision of the acetabular component without cement, performed for aseptic loosening, were reported previously after a mean of forty-four months for 138 hips (132 patients). After an additional mean duration of follow-up of almost five years, twelve patients (twelve hips) had died before they could be followed long enough for the later study and nine patients (eleven hips) had been lost to follow-up; thus, a total of 111 patients (115 hips) were available for follow-up at a mean of 100 months (range, seventy-eight to 135 months). Between the earlier and later times of follow-up, six additional acetabuli had had a repeat revision: one, for recurrent dislocation; two, for infection; and three (which were stable), at the time of a revision of the femoral stem. No revision of the acetabular cup was performed because of aseptic loosening, and no cup was noted to have migrated. Radiographs were available for 105 patients (109 hips) at a mean of ninety-eight months (range, seventy-eight to 135 months). Five (5 per cent) of the 109 cups were surrounded by a complete radiolucent line and three (3 per cent), by a partial progressive radio-lucent line. A radiolucent line adjacent to a screw was seen in association with two cups (2 per cent), and osteolysis was noted at the margin of four cups (4 per cent). Revision of the acetabular component with a porous-coated, nearly hemispherical fiber-metal component inserted without cement was associated with a high rate of excellent results at the seven to eleven-year follow-up examination.

The prosthesis-bone interface adjacent to tibial components inserted without cement. Clinical and radiographic follow-up at nine to twelve years.

We evaluated the radiographic and functional status of a one-piece composite tibial component, designed to be inserted without cement, that was developed and used only at our institution. Thirty-six patients (thirty-seven knees) were managed with the component between November 1981 and September 1983, and none were lost to follow-up. When they were last seen, thirty-four (92 per cent) of the thirty-seven knees had a well-fixed tibial component, both clinically and radiographically. Eight patients (eight knees; 22 per cent) died. Eleven patients (eleven knees; 30 per cent) had a revision at an average of sixty-five months (range, four to ninety-five months) postoperatively. The reason for the revision was failure of a metal-backed patellar component in three knees, excessive wear of the polyethylene of the tibial component in one, a hematogenous infection in four, aseptic loosening of the tibial component in two, and chronic synovitis in one. The remaining seventeen patients (eighteen knees; 49 per cent) were seen for clinical and radiographic follow-up at an average of eleven years (range, nine to twelve years) after the operation. With removal of the implant as the end point, the cumulative rate of survival was 83 per cent at fifty-six months and 67 per cent at 108 months. Some of the failures were secondary to features of the prosthetic design that currently are considered to be inadequate, including a metal-backed patellar component and carbon-fiber-reinforced polyethylene. In the twenty-six knees in which the prosthesis had been retained, the implant was stable and the prosthesis-bone interface was unchanged as seen radiographically at the time of the most recent follow-up examination. This finding demonstrates that a porous ingrowth surface is capable of providing a secure interface for biological fixation over the long term.

Early failure of acetabular components inserted without cement after previous pelvic irradiation.

The effect of previous irradiation of the pelvis on the survival of acetabular components inserted without cement in primary total hip arthroplasty was examined. We searched a database of 1319 patients who had been managed with a primary total hip arthroplasty with insertion of a hemispherical porous-coated acetabular component without cement. This revealed twelve hips in eleven patients who had been managed with previous irradiation of the pelvis. Three patients had died after less than one year of follow-up, leaving eight patients with nine acetabular components available for study at an average of thirty-seven months (range, seventeen to seventy-eight months) after the operation. The type of radiation as well as the fractionation, dose, and portals were reviewed to determine the exposure of the periacetabular region to radiation. Failure of the component was assessed radiographically and clinically. At the time of follow-up, three of the nine acetabular components had migrated, as seen on radiographs, and had been associated with progressive radiolucency without clinical symptoms. Thus, four of the nine acetabular components failed, at an average of twenty-five months (range, sixteen to thirty-eight months). The other five components had not failed clinically and were stable radiographically at an average of thirty-six months (range, seventeen to sixty-three months). The insertion of acetabular components without cement in a previously irradiated pelvis has a high rate of failure. However, a superior method of acetabular reconstruction in this difficult situation has yet to emerge.

Miller-Galante unicompartmental knee arthroplasty at 2- to 5-year follow-up evaluations.

A consecutive series of 62 Miller-Galante (Zimmer, Warsaw, IN) unicompartmental knee arthroplasties were evaluated. Patients had unicompartmental degenerative arthritis or osteonecrosis, a sagittal plane deformity of 15 degrees or less, and minimal patellofemoral involvement. The average age was 69, with osteoarthritis in 85% and osteonecrosis in 15%. Ninety-five percent were medial and 5% lateral compartment replacements. The Hospital for Special Surgery knee score averaged 56 +/- 11 before surgery and 96 +/- 5 at the final follow-up evaluation, with an average postoperative pain score of 48 +/- 2. Three patients suffered intra-operative or immediate postoperative tibial plateau fractures without apparent sequelae, one patient required a postoperative manipulation under anesthesia, and one patient required an arthroscopic debridement for retained cement in the posterior capsular space. Limb alignment was corrected to within 5 degrees of the neutral mechanical axis in 77%, with 19% undercorrected and 3% overcorrected. Seventy percent of knees showed at least a single radiolucent line. Complete radiolucent lines were noted about three tibial components (6%) and progressive partial radiolucency was noted about four additional components (8%).

Revision total hip arthroplasty using a cementless acetabular component. Technique and results.

Are the midterm results (range, 7-11 years) for revision of the acetabulum with a cementless hemispherical component comparable with other published revision techniques at similar followup? One hundred thirty-eight acetabular revisions for aseptic loosening were done in 132 patients using a cementless hemispherical component coated with titanium mesh and inserted with supplemental screw fixation. Twelve patients died, 9 were lost to followup, and 6 could not return for followup, leaving 111 patients (115 hips) with a mean of 100 months of followup. Thirteen hips required revision (11%): 4 were done for recurrent dislocations, and 6 for sepsis; 3 stable cups were revised (at the time of stem revision). No cup was revised for aseptic loosening. Radiographic review was available for 105 patients (109 hips) at mean 98-month followup (78-135 months). A complete radiolucency was seen in 4% of the cups, a partial progressive radiolucency in 3%, and a partial nonprogressive radiolucency in 54%; no radiolucency was present in 39%. A screw radiolucency was seen in 2%, and osteolysis at the cup margin in 4%. Revision of the acetabulum with a cementless porous-coated hemispherical fiber-metal component is superior to the results reported for acetabular revisions with cement at similar followup.

Arthroplasty with a composite of an allograft and a prosthesis for knees with severe deficiency of bone.

We reviewed the clinical and radiographic results of fourteen patients who had a severe deficiency of bone and were managed with a massive allograft in conjunction with a standard total knee prosthesis between 1987 and 1990. The etiology of the bone loss included the failure of a previous total knee prosthesis, a supracondylar fracture of the femur or a fracture of the proximal part of the tibia, and débridement during the first stage of a reconstruction for the treatment of an infection. Thirteen patients had satisfactory clinical and radiographic results after the index procedure. The knee score of The Hospital for Special Surgery improved from an average of 24 points (range, 0 to 54 points) preoperatively to 82 points (range, 37 to 98 points) at the time of the most recent follow-up examination. The average duration of follow-up was forty-three months (range, twenty-nine to sixty-three months). The radiographic and functional results compare favorably with those that have been reported in most studies of otherwise comparable patients who had less deficiency of bone. While considerable risks are associated with the use of allograft bone and the true longevity of reconstructions with such bone is not yet known, the initial and short-term follow-up results support the use of allograft for the restoration of a functional knee joint in a patient who has a severe deficiency of bone.

Revision total hip arthroplasty using a cementless acetabular component: technique and results.

One hundred thirty-eight acetabular revisions for aseptic loosening were performed in 132 patients using a cementless hemispherical component coated with titanium mesh and inserted with supplemental screw fixation. Twelve patients died, 9 were lost to follow-up and 6 could not return, leaving 111 patients (115 hips) at mean 100 months follow-up. Thirteen hips required revision (11%); 4 for recurrent dislocations, 6 for sepsis, and 3 stable cups were revised (at the time of stem revision). No cup was revised for aseptic loosening. Radiographic review was available for 105 patients (109 hips) at mean 98 month follow-up (78 to 135 months). One hundred cups (91%) were considered stable. Seven cups were possibly unstable (7%), one cup was probably unstable (1%), and one septic hip had an unstable cup (1%). Four percent of the cups showed a complete radiolucency. A partial progressive radiolucency was seen in 3%, a partial nonprogressive radiolucency in 54%, and no radiolucency was present in 39%. A screw radiolucency was seen in 2%, and osteolysis at the cup margin in 4%. Revision of the acetabulum with a cementless porous-coated hemispherical fiber-metal component seems to be superior to the results reported for acetabular revisions with cement at similar follow-up.

Allograft prosthetic composite reconstruction for limb salvage and severe deficiency of bone at the knee or hip.

We reviewed the clinical, radiographic, and where applicable, oncologic results of 112 consecutive allograft prosthetic composite reconstructions performed at Rush Presbyterian St Luke's Medical Center. The source of the bone defects included resection of a tumor, failure of a prior arthroplasty, and periprosthetic fracture. The patients having reconstruction after tumor resection achieved an average Enneking functional score of 28.3. Satisfactory clinical and radiographic results were obtained in 70% to 93%, depending on the group. Based on our experience, we have established a set of principles that should maximize functional results and minimize problems with allograft prosthetic composite arthroplasty.

The role of prophylactic surgery in the management of metastatic hip disease.

The surgical stabilization of pathological fractures has been advocated as early as 1953 as the best form of management for this difficult problem. The treatment of impending fractures has also been advocated, although the advantages of this form of treatment has not been clearly demonstrated in the literature. A consecutive series of 99 hips treated for a pathological fracture or an impending fracture of the hip were retrospectively reviewed. The patients treated prophylactically for an impending fracture had fewer complications, a löwer postoperative mortality rate, a lesser incidence of failure of stabilization, and a greater percentage of postoperative ambulators. Survival was not improved by prophylactic surgery. Adjunctive methyl methacrylate improved fixation and decreased the incidence of failure of stabilization of both impending and pathological fractures.