Long-term results of isolated acetabular revisions with reinforcement rings: a 10- to 15-year follow-up.

PURPOSE: The management of severe acetabular bone deficiency and a stable femoral stem can be a challenging problem in revision hip surgery. Replacement of both the acetabular and femoral component in elderly patients can increase perioperative risks without the certainty of a better functional outcome. We report the long-term outcome of reinforcement rings in isolated acetabular revision to determine whether this procedure allows hip function restoration and implant longevity. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the long-term results of isolated acetabular revision in thirty patients with a mean age of 70.6 years. 16 patients (16 hips) received an acetabular reinforcement ring, and 14 patients received a reconstruction cage. Acetabular defects were classified as Paprosky Type II in 16 cases and Type III in 14 cases. The mean follow-up was 11.3 years (range 10-15 years). RESULTS: Radiographic signs of loosening were found in 9 cases (30%). 4 cases (13.3%) with severe osteolysis and implant migration underwent further revision surgery. All 30 unrevised femoral stems were considered stable. 1 (3%) early dislocation, was conservatively treated. Clinical assessment showed a significantly improved mean Harris Hip Score from 45.1 points preoperatively to 85.4 at the latest follow-up (p < 0.05). The 15-year survival rate was 86.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Our long-term results showed that in selected patients, isolated acetabular revision with rings or antiprotrusio cages represents a reasonable surgical technique for the management of severe acetabular bone loss. However, concerns about the high radiographic loosening rates are possibly related to low bone ingrowth compared to new porous implants.

The impact of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnostic and classification process of osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

INTRODUCTION: Standard radiographs are still considered as the gold standard for the early assessment of thoraco-lumbar osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs), although several studies demonstrated superior accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnostic process of OVFs. The aim of this study was to quantify the misdiagnosis rate of OVFs and analyse the impact of MRI on early diagnosis and classification, compared to standard radiographs alone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 173 patients were enrolled in this study. All participants were 55 years of age or older (60 years for men) and complained acute back pain with suspected thoracolumbar OVFs without history of high-energy trauma. Diagnosis of OVF was initially performed on standard radiographs obtained in the emergency room. Then, all the patients underwent MRI scan with short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequencing within 7 days. We compared the level and number of fractures identified on standard radiographs with the MRI scan results. The discordance between radiographic and MRI diagnosis was quantified. Fractures were classified according to AO Spine Classification. RESULTS: Mean age of the study participant was 74.2 years (range 55-92). They were 100 males and 73 females. MRI modified initial diagnosis in 52% (90/173) of our patients: in 43.9% of patients MRI identified one or more new thoracolumbar fracture. In 14 cases (8.1%) MRI disproved the evidence of any thoracolumbar fracture, even those recognized at plain X-rays. Bone bruise was detected by MRI in 19 vertebral bodies in 8 patients (4.6%) at levels that were classified as unremarkable on X-ray alone. In addition, 63 patients (36.4%) presented a total of 93 old fractures. The classification of fracture pattern after MRI changed in 28.90% of the patients (changes mostly involved AO type A1 patterns). CONCLUSIONS: Underdiagnosis of osteoporotic vertebral fractures is a common problem due to a lack of radiographic detection. Our results showed that the extensive use of MRI imaging allows better accuracy in the diagnostic process and in the classification assessment, compared to conventional radiographs. Further investigation should provide additional information about the impact of early MRI on treatment and management of elderly patients with suspected OVFs, including the decision to hospitalize or not, and how it could affect clinical outcome and social costs.

Short stem total hip arthroplasty for osteonecrosis of the femoral head in patients 60 years or younger: a 3- to 10-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: In young patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), short-stem total hip arthroplasty (THA) could allow a potential advantage in preserving metaphyseal bone-stock, when revision surgery might become necessary. However, only a few studies have evaluated the outcome of short-stem THAs in ONFH. We reviewed the prospectively collected data of a cementless partial neck-retaining short-stem with ceramic-on-ceramic bearings in ONFH patients. METHODS: Thirty patients (37 hips) younger than 60 years (mean age at surgery, 51.5 years) underwent THA with the NANOS® stem (Smith and Nephew, Marl, Germany) from January 2006 to December 2012. All patients received a 32-mm or 36 mm ceramic femoral head. Harris hip score, WOMAC and UCLA activity score were recorded. Postoperative radiographs were evaluated for bone-implant fixation and osteolysis. Further analysis correlated clinical findings with implants characteristics and patient demographics at mean 5.6 years' follow-up (range, 3-10 years). RESULTS: The clinical and functional results improved significantly (p < 0.001). At latest follow-up, mean HHS, WOMAC, and UCLA activity scores were 90 (range, 71-100), 94 (range, 76-100), and 6.3 (range, 4-10) points, respectively. The diameter of the femoral head did not influence the clinical outcome (p = 0.661). All hips showed bone ingrowth fixation of the acetabular and femoral components. No patients showed osteolysis. No revision for any reason was performed during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: The excellent clinical results and fixation pattern at mean 5.6 years' follow-up reveal this implant as a reliable option in advanced stage of ONFH either. Further investigations are crucial to determine the long-term durability and to assess whether the association of ceramic-on-ceramic bearings, can be useful to achieve longer survivorship and lower complications rates. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registry number: ISRCTN 91336248 ; date of registration: 04/07/2017.

Periprosthetic femoral fractures: risk factors and current options to treatment.

The incidence and complexity of the femoral fracture around a previously implanted prosthetic component has been increasing over the last ten years, and treatment can be complex, expensive and associated with an increased risk of local and systemic complications. The surgical treatment options for periprosthetic fractures include open reduction and internal fixation of bone or revision arthroplasty. This review focuses on the current surgical techniques and the pharmacological therapy to provide biological support for the enhancement of bone healing.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for transient bone marrow oedema syndrome of the hip.

Transient bone marrow oedema syndrome of the proximal femur is characterized by acute, progressive pain in the hip that is increased by weight-bearing. Treatment includes restricted weight-bearing and analgesic medication. A prospective, randomized study was performed to compare two groups of patients affected by bone marrow oedema syndrome of the femoral head. 20 patients received pharmacological and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and a control group of 21 patients received pharmacological therapy alone. The overall average WOMAC score at 3 months was significantly higher (p<0.001) for the hyperbaric oxygen group (70.8 points) compared with the control group (56.4 points). Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 3 months showed resolution of bone marrow oedema in 55.0% of the patients treated with hyperbaric oxygen compared with 28% in the control group. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy appears to be effective in treating transient bone marrow oedema syndrome, resulting in an accelerated recovery of hip function compared to pharmacological therapy alone.

The role of dedicated instrumentation in total hip arthroplasty.

Tissue-sparing surgery is a surgical strategy aimed to reduce tissue damage in joint replacement. This can be achieved by reducing soft tissue trauma, performing minimally invasive access routes and limiting bone removal with implantation of conservative prostheses. In order to facilitate mini-approaches, special instrumentation was developed to avoid impingement of the soft tissues and provide an easier and more correct placement of the components. We performed an analysis of the literature and a research of the instrumentation available today, to evaluate the actual utility of dedicated tools.