The outcome of 219 revision total hip arthroplasties (THAs) in 98 male and 121 female patients, using 137 long length and 82 standard length cemented collarless double-taper femoral stems in 211 patients, with a mean age of 72 years (30 to 90) and mean follow-up of six years (two to 18) have been described previously. We have extended the follow-up to a mean of 13 years (8 to 20) in this cohort of patients in which the pre-operative bone deficiency Paprosky grading was IIIA or worse in 79% and 73% of femurs with long and standard stems, respectively.

For the long stem revision group, survival to re-revision for aseptic loosening at 14 years was 97% (95% confidence interval (CI) 91 to 100) and in patients aged > 70 years, survival was 100%. Two patients (two revisions) were lost to follow-up and 86 patients with 88 revisions had died. Worst-case analysis for survival to re-revision for aseptic loosening at 14 years was 95% (95% CI 89 to 100) and 99% (95% CI 96 to 100) for patients aged > 70 years. One additional long stem was classified as loose radiographically but not revised.

For the standard stem revision group, survival to re-revision for aseptic loosening at 14 years was 91% (95% CI 83 to 99). No patients were lost to follow-up and 49 patients with 51 hips had died. No additional stems were classified as loose radiographically.

Femoral revision using a cemented collarless double-taper stem, particularly with a long length stem, and in patients aged > 70 years, continues to yield excellent results up to 20 years post-operatively, including in hips with considerable femoral metaphyseal bone loss.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1038–45.

Pre-operative planning for total hip replacement (THR) is challenging in hips with severe acetabular deformities, including those with a hypoplastic acetabulum or severe defects and in the presence of arthrodesis or ankylosis. We evaluated whether a Rapid Prototype (RP) model, which is a life-sized reproduction based on three-dimensional CT scans, can determine the feasibility of THR and provide information about the size and position of the acetabular component in severe acetabular deformities. THR was planned using an RP model in 21 complex hips in five men (five hips) and 16 women (16 hips) with a mean age of 47.7 years (24 to 70) at operation. An acetabular component was implanted successfully and THR completed in all hips. The acetabular component used was within 2 mm of the predicted size in 17 hips (80.9%). All of the acetabular components and femoral stems had radiological evidence of bone ingrowth and stability at the final follow-up, without any detectable wear or peri-prosthetic osteolysis. The RP model allowed a simulated procedure pre-operatively and was helpful in determining the feasibility of THR pre-operatively, and to decide on implant type, size and position in complex THRs.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1458–63.

The long-term survival of the cementless Spotorno CLS femoral component in patients aged > 50 years at the time of arthroplasty was investigated. Survivorship analysis of a consecutive series of 85 patients (100 hips; under 50 years of age at a mean follow-up of 18.4 years (16.3 to 20.8)) was performed. The clinical and radiographic outcomes were satisfactory. The overall rate of survival of the femoral component was 93.5% (95% confidence interval (CI), 90.9 to 96.1) after 19 years. Survival with revision for aseptic loosening as the end point was 95.7% (95% CI 93.6 to 97.8%) at 19 years.

This study demonstrates an excellent long-term survival of the Spotorno CLS femoral component after 16 to 20 years in young patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:160–3.

End caps are intended to prevent nail migration (push-out) in elastic stable intramedullary nailing. The aim of this study was to investigate the force at failure with and without end caps, and whether different insertion angles of nails and end caps would alter that force at failure.

Simulated oblique fractures of the diaphysis were created in 15 artificial paediatric femurs. Titanium Elastic Nails with end caps were inserted at angles of 45°, 55° and 65° in five specimens for each angle to create three study groups. Biomechanical testing was performed with axial compression until failure. An identical fracture was created in four small adult cadaveric femurs harvested from two donors (both female, aged 81 and 85 years, height 149 cm and 156 cm, respectively). All femurs were tested without and subsequently with end caps inserted at 45°.

In the artificial femurs, maximum force was not significantly different between the three groups (p = 0.613). Push-out force was significantly higher in the cadaveric specimens with the use of end caps by an up to sixfold load increase (830 N, standard deviation (SD) 280 vs 150 N, SD 120, respectively; p = 0.007).

These results indicate that the nail and end cap insertion angle can be varied within 20° without altering construct stability and that the risk of elastic stable intramedullary nailing push–out can be effectively reduced by the use of end caps.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:558–63.

We reviewed the results of 84 total hip replacements performed with a short metaphyseal-fitting anatomical cementless femoral component in 84 unselected consecutive patients with a mean age of 78.9 years (70 to 88). The mean follow-up was 4.6 years (4 to 5). The mean pre-operative Harris hip score was 26 points (0 to 56), which improved to 89 (61 to 100) at the final follow-up. No patient had thigh pain. The mean pre-operative Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index score was 61 points (48 to 75), which improved to 21 (6 to 46). The mean University of California, Los Angeles activity score was 5.5 points (3 to 7) at the final follow-up. Osseointegration was seen in all femoral and acetabular components. All hips had grade 1 stress shielding of the proximal femur. No acetabular or femoral osteolysis was identified.

These results demonstrate that a short metaphyseal-fitting femoral component achieves optimal fixation without diaphyseal anchorage in elderly patients.

Progressive retroversion of a cemented stem is predictive of early loosening and failure. We assessed the relationship between direct post-operative stem anteversion, measured with CT, and the resulting rotational stability, measured with repeated radiostereometric analysis over ten years. The study comprised 60 cemented total hip replacements using one of two types of matt collared stem with a rounded cross-section. The patients were divided into three groups depending on their measured post-operative anteversion (< 10°, 10° to 25°, >  25°). There was a strong correlation between direct post-operative anteversion and later posterior rotation. At one year the < 10° group showed significantly more progressive retroversion together with distal migration, and this persisted to the ten-year follow-up. In the < 10° group four of ten stems (40%) had been revised at ten years, and an additional two stems (20%) were radiologically loose. In the ‘normal’ (10° to 25°) anteversion group there was one revised (3%) and one loose stem (3%) of a total of 30 stems, and in the > 25° group one stem (5%) was revised and another loose (5%) out of 20 stems. This poor outcome is partly dependent on the design of this prosthesis, but the results strongly suggest that the initial rotational position of cemented stems during surgery affects the subsequent progressive retroversion, subsidence and eventual loosening. The degree of retroversion may be sensitive to prosthetic design and stem size, but < 10° of anteversion appears deleterious to the long-term outcome for cemented hip prosthetic stems.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:23–30.

The hip joint is commonly involved in multiple epiphyseal dysplasia and patients may require total hip replacement before the age of 30 years.

We retrospectively reviewed nine patients (16 hips) from four families. The diagnosis of multiple epiphyseal dysplasia was based on a family history, genetic counselling, clinical features and radiological findings. The mean age at surgery was 32 years (17 to 63), with a mean follow-up of 15.9 years (5.5 to 24).

Of the 16 hips, ten required revision at a mean of 12.5 years (5 to 15) consisting of complete revision of the acetabular component in three hips and isolated exchange of the liner in seven. No femoral component has loosened or required revision during the period of follow-up.

With revision for any reason, the 15-year survival was only 11.4% (95% confidence interval 1.4 to 21.4). However, when considering revision of the acetabular shell in isolation the survival at ten years was 93.7% (95% confidence interval 87.7 to 99.7), reducing to 76.7% (95% confidence interval 87.7 to 98.7) at 15 and 20 years, respectively.

Although the importance of lateral femoral wall integrity is increasingly being recognised in the treatment of intertrochanteric fracture, little attention has been put on the development of a secondary post-operative fracture of the lateral wall. Patients with post-operative fractures of the lateral wall were reported to have high rates of re-operation and complication. To date, no predictors of post-operative lateral wall fracture have been reported. In this study, we investigated the reliability of lateral wall thickness as a predictor of lateral wall fracture after dynamic hip screw (DHS) implantation.

A total of 208 patients with AO/OTA 31-A1 and -A2 classified intertrochanteric fractures who received internal fixation with a DHS between January 2003 and May 2012 were reviewed. There were 103 men and 150 women with a mean age at operation of 78 years (33 to 94). The mean follow-up was 23 months (6 to 83). The right side was affected in 97 patients and the left side in 111. Clinical information including age, gender, side, fracture classification, tip–apex distance, follow-up time, lateral wall thickness and outcome were recorded and used in the statistical analysis.

Fracture classification and lateral wall thickness significantly contributed to post-operative lateral wall fracture (both p < 0.001). The lateral wall thickness threshold value for risk of developing a secondary lateral wall fracture was found to be 20.5 mm.

To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the risk factors of post-operative lateral wall fracture in intertrochanteric fracture. We found that lateral wall thickness was a reliable predictor of post-operative lateral wall fracture and conclude that intertrochanteric fractures with a lateral wall thickness < 20.5 mm should not be treated with DHS alone.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1134–8.

We evaluated all cases involving the combined use of a subtrochanteric derotational femoral shortening osteotomy with a cemented Exeter stem performed at our institution. With severe developmental dysplasia of the hip an osteotomy is often necessary to achieve shortening and derotation of the proximal femur. Reduction can be maintained with a 3.5 mm compression plate while the implant is cemented into place. Such a plate was used to stabilise the osteotomy in all cases. Intramedullary autograft helps to prevent cement interposition at the osteotomy site and promotes healing. There were 15 female patients (18 hips) with a mean age of 51 years (33 to 75) who had a Crowe IV dysplasia of the hip and were followed up for a mean of 114 months (52 to 168). None was lost to follow-up. All clinical scores were collected prospectively. The Charnley modification of the Merle D’Aubigné-Postel scores for pain, function and range of movement showed a statistically significant improvement from a mean of 2.4 (1 to 4), 2.3 (1 to 4), 3.4 (1 to 6) to 5.2 (3 to 6), 4.4 (3 to 6), 5.2 (4 to 6), respectively. Three acetabular revisions were required for aseptic loosening; one required femoral revision for access. One osteotomy failed to unite at 14 months and was revised successfully. No other case required a femoral revision. No postoperative sciatic nerve palsy was observed.

Cemented Exeter femoral components perform well in the treatment of Crowe IV dysplasia with this procedure.

A high radiographic inclination angle (RI) contributes to accelerated wear and has been associated with dislocation after total hip arthroplasty (THA). With freehand positioning of the acetabular component there is a lack of accuracy, with a trend towards a high radiographic inclination angle. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of a digital protractor to measure the operative inclination angle (OI) could improve the positioning of the acetabular component in relation to a ‘safe zone’.

We measured the radiographic inclination angles of 200 consecutive uncemented primary THAs. In the first 100 the component was introduced freehand and in the second 100 a digital protractor was used to measure the operative inclination angle.

The mean difference between the operative and the radiographic inclination angles (∆RI–OI) in the second cohort was 12.3° (3.8° to 19.8°). There was a strong correlation between the circumference of the hip and ∆RI–OI. The number of RI outliers was significantly reduced in the protractor group (p = 0.002).

Adjusting the OI, using a digital protractor and taking into account the circumference of the patient’s hip, improves the RI significantly (p < 0.001) and does not require additional operating time.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015; 97-B:603–610.

We undertook a randomised controlled trial to compare the piriformis-sparing approach with the standard posterior approach used for total hip replacement (THR). We recruited 100 patients awaiting THR and randomly allocated them to either the piriformis-sparing approach or the standard posterior approach. Pre- and post-operative care programmes and rehabilitation regimes were identical for both groups. Observers were blinded to the allocation throughout; patients were blinded until the two-week assessment. Follow-up was at six weeks, three months, one year and two years. In all 11 patients died or were lost to follow-up.

There was no significant difference between groups for any of the functional outcomes. However, for patients in the piriformis-sparing group there was a trend towards a better six-minute walk test at two weeks and greater patient satisfaction at six weeks. The acetabular components were less anteverted (p = 0.005) and had a lower mean inclination angle (p = 0.02) in the piriformis-sparing group. However, in both groups the mean component positions were within Lewinnek’s safe zone. Surgeons perceived the piriformis-sparing approach to be significantly more difficult than the standard approach (p = 0.03), particularly in obese patients.

In conclusion, performing THR through a shorter incision involving sparing piriformis is more difficult and only provides short-term benefits compared with the standard posterior approach.

Ceramic-on-metal (CoM) is a relatively new bearing combination for total hip arthroplasty (THA) with few reported outcomes. A total of 287 CoM THAs were carried out in 271 patients (mean age 55.6 years (20 to 77), 150 THAs in female patients, 137 in male) under the care of a single surgeon between October 2007 and October 2009. With the issues surrounding metal-on-metal bearings the decision was taken to review these patients between March and November 2011, at a mean follow-up of 34 months (23 to 45) and to record pain, outcome scores, radiological analysis and blood ion levels. The mean Oxford Hip Score was 19.2 (12 to 53), 254 patients with 268 hips (95%) had mild/very mild/no pain, the mean angle of inclination of the acetabular component was 44.8^o (28^o to 63^o), 82 stems (29%) had evidence of radiolucent lines of > 1 mm in at least one Gruen zone and the median levels of cobalt and chromium ions in the blood were 0.83 μg/L (0.24 μg/L to 27.56 μg/L) and 0.78 μg/L (0.21 μg/L to 8.84 μg/L), respectively. The five-year survival rate is 96.9% (95% confidence interval 94.7% to 99%).

Due to the presence of radiolucent lines and the higher than expected levels of metal ions in the blood, we would not recommend the use of CoM THA without further long-term follow-up. We plan to monitor all these patients regularly.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:300–5.

Over recent years hip arthroscopic surgery has evolved into one of the most rapidly expanding fields in orthopaedic surgery. Complications are largely transient and incidences between 0.5% and 6.4% have been reported. However, major complications can and do occur. This article analyses the reported complications and makes recommendations based on the literature review and personal experience on how to minimise them.

We evaluated the outcome of 41 consecutive Charnley low-friction arthroplasties (LFAs) performed by a single surgeon in 28 patients aged ≤ 35 years at operation between 23 and 36 years previously. There were 20 women and eight men with a mean age of 32 years (23 to 35) at surgery. Two patients (three hips) were lost to follow-up at 12 and 17 years post-operatively, respectively, and one patient (one hip) died at 13 years post-operatively. These patients were excluded from the final evaluation. The survival rate of the acetabular components was 92.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 88.7 to 96.7) at ten years, 67.1% (95% CI 59.75 to 74.45) at 20 years and 53.2% (95% CI 45.3 to 61.1) at 25 years. For the femoral component the survival was 95.1% (95% CI 91.8 to 98.5) at ten years, 77.1% (95% CI 73.9 to 80.3) at 20 years and 68.2% (95% CI 60.7 to 75.8) at 25 years. The results indicate that the Charnley LFA remains a reasonable choice in the treatment of young patients and can serve for comparison with newer techniques and implants.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1052–6.

Drug therapy forms an integral part of the management of many orthopaedic conditions. However, many medicines can produce serious adverse reactions if prescribed inappropriately, either alone or in combination with other drugs. Often these hazards are not appreciated. In response to this, the European Union recently issued legislation regarding safety measures which member states must adopt to minimise the risk of errors of medication.

In March 2014 the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and NHS England released a Patient Safety Alert initiative focussed on errors of medication. There have been similar initiatives in the United States under the auspices of The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error and The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. These initiatives have highlighted the importance of informing and educating clinicians.

Here, we discuss common drug interactions and contra-indications in orthopaedic practice. This is germane to safe and effective clinical care.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:434–41.

Labral tears are commonly associated with femoroacetabular impingement. We reviewed 151 patients (156 hips) with femoroacetabular impingement and labral tears who had been treated arthroscopically. These were subdivided into those who had undergone a labral repair (group 1) and those who had undergone resection of the labrum (group 2). In order to ensure the groups were suitably matched for comparison of treatment effects, patients with advanced degenerative changes (Tönnis grade > 2, lateral sourcil height < 2 mm and Outerbridge grade 4 changes in the weight-bearing area of the femoral head) were excluded, leaving 96 patients (101 hips) in the study. At a mean follow-up of 2.44 years (2 to 4), the mean modified Harris hip score in the labral repair group (group 1, 69 hips) improved from 60.2 (24 to 85) pre-operatively to 93.6 (55 to 100), and in the labral resection group (group 2, 32 hips) from 62.8 (29 to 96) pre-operatively to 88.8 (35 to 100). The mean modified Harris hip score in the labral repair group was 7.3 points greater than in the resection group (p = 0.036, 95% confidence interval 0.51 to 14.09). Labral detachments were found more frequently in the labral repair group and labral flap tears in the resection group. No patient in our study group required a subsequent hip replacement during the period of follow-up.

This study shows that patients without advanced degenerative changes in the hip can achieve significant improvement in their symptoms after arthroscopic treatment of femoroacetabular impingement. Where appropriate, labral repair provides a superior result to labral resection.

The Exeter femoral stem is a double-tapered highly polished collarless cemented implant with good long-term clinical results. In order to determine why the stem functions well we have undertaken a long-term radiostereometric analysis (RSA) study.

A total of 20 patients undergoing primary Exeter total hip replacement for osteoarthritis using the Hardinge approach were recruited and followed with RSA for ten years. The stems progressively subsided and internally rotated with posterior head migration. The mean subsidence was 0.7 mm (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.5 to 0.9) at two years and 1.3 mm (95% CI 1.0 to 1.6) at ten years. The mean posterior migration of the head was 0.7 mm (95% CI 0.5 to 0.9) at two years and 1.2 mm (95% CI 1.0 to 1.4) at ten years. There was no significant cement restrictor migration.

The Exeter stem continues to subside slowly into the cement mantle in the long term. This appears to compress the cement and the cement bone interface, contributing to secure fixation in the long term.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:605–8.

Reconstructive acetabular osteotomy is a well established and effective procedure in the treatment of acetabular dysplasia. However, the dysplasia is frequently accompanied by intra-articular pathology such as labral tears. We intended to determine whether a concomitant hip arthroscopy with peri-acetabular rotational osteotomy could identify and treat intra-articular pathology associated with dysplasia and thereby produce a favourable outcome. We prospectively evaluated 43 consecutive hips treated by combined arthroscopy and acetabular osteotomy. Intra-operative arthroscopic examination revealed labral lesions in 38 hips. At a mean follow-up of 74 months (60 to 97) the mean Harris hip score improved from 72.4 to 94.0 (p < 0.001), as did all the radiological parameters (p < 0.001). Complications included penetration of the joint by the osteotome in one patient, a fracture of the posterior column in another and deep-vein thrombosis in one further patient. This combined surgical treatment gave good results in the medium term.

We suggest that arthroscopy of the hip can be performed in conjunction with peri-acetabular osteotomy to provide good results in patients with symptomatic dysplasia of the hip, and the arthroscopic treatment of intra-articular pathology may alter the progression of osteoarthritis.

Although the association between femoroacetabular impingement and osteoarthritis is established, it is not yet clear which hips have the greatest likelihood to progress rapidly to end-stage disease. We investigated the effect of several radiological parameters, each indicative of a structural aspect of the hip joint, on the progression of osteoarthritis. Pairs of plain anteroposterior pelvic radiographs, taken at least ten years apart, of 43 patients (43 hips) with a pistol-grip deformity of the femur and mild (Tönnis grade 1) or moderate (Tönnis grade 2) osteoarthritis were reviewed. Of the 43 hips, 28 showed evidence of progression of osteoarthritis. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of progression between hips with initial Tönnis grade 1 or grade 2 osteoarthritis (p = 0.31). Comparison of the hips with and without progression of arthritis revealed a significant difference in the mean medial proximal femoral angle (81° vs 87°, p = 0.004) and the presence of the posterior wall sign (39% vs 7%, p = 0.02) only. A logistic regression model was constructed to predict the influence of these two variables in the development of osteoarthritis.

Mild to moderate osteoarthritis in hips with a pistol-grip deformity will not progress rapidly in all patients. In one-third, progression will take more than ten years to manifest, if ever. The individual geometry of the proximal femur and acetabulum partly influences this phenomenon. A hip with cam impingement is not always destined for end-stage arthritic degeneration.