Wear debris associated with CoCr bearings has been implicated in the development of adverse soft tissue reactions and pseudotumors following THA with large metal heads and following hip resurfacing. Additional concerns have been raised regarding trunion fretting and corrosion. Most recently, the neck-stem junction of some modular femoral stem designs have come under additional scrutiny. We undertook a review of patients who had undergone THA with a proximal modular junction stem design in order to ascertain the state of the junction in early follow up.

We examined the records of all patients in our practice who had undergone uncomplicated, unilateral THA with the ARC stem (OmniLife Science, East Taunton, MA, USA) between April 2010 and April 2012. Office records, radiographs and laboratory data were included. Serum or blood cobalt and chromium ion levels were obtained at the one-year post-op visit or later or if the patient had unexpected pain. The test obtained (serum or blood) was dependent on the lab performing the study.

In the study period 100 patients met the inclusion criteria and had metal ion levels available for review. No patient required revision for adverse soft tissue reaction or elevated metal ion levels. Cobalt levels fell with the normal lab ranges in the majority of patients with a very small percentage demonstrating levels slightly above the normal range. Chromium levels all fell within the expected normal range. One patient had a neck exchange for mechanical reasons at 8 weeks following primary THA. This patient went on to develop elevated serum cobalt levels and a large hip effusion. The hip was revised at one year to a non-modular stem.

A modular proximal stem offers the advantages of addressing variable anatomy and allowing less soft tissue dissection. Some designs have enjoyed success while others have been withdrawn from the market due to fatigue failure, dissociation or metal-associated adverse reactions. Modular junction designs vary greatly which can impact their inherent stability and their ability to resist micro-motion. In this patient group the junction has shown good stability in early follow up as judged by clinical and laboratory data. Cobalt levels were all normal or well below the range considered suspicious for adverse reaction. Chromium levels all fell within the normal range. A case of an exchanged neck with retention of the stem was associated with high cobalt levels. We discuss several junction designs and their characteristics.