Long-Term Survival and Results at a Mean Follow-Up Period of 24 Years of a Tapered Straight, Collarless, Grit-Blasted, Titanium Alloy Stem.

BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence on the survivorship of patients who undergo cementless stem implantation, beyond 20 years of the hip arthroplasty. We report implant survival and results of the CLS Spotorno femoral stem until 30 years from implantation. METHODS: Survival analysis of 147 CLS Spotorno stems in 119 patients for an average period of 24 years (20-30) from the date of implantation was performed. During the course of the follow-up period, 33 patients (39 hips) died. The information on the survival of their hip implant at the time of death was gathered from their relatives and general practitioners. Sixty-six patients (86 hips) undertook the complete survey along with radiographic examination, while 18 subjects (20 hips) were interviewed over the telephone. The factors influencing survival, functional outcomes, and level of satisfaction with surgery were evaluated. RESULTS: The overall estimated survival of the stems was 89.9% after 30 years (95% confidence interval [CI] 83.5-93.9). Survival with femoral revision for aseptic loosening as an end point was 93.1% (95% CI 87.1-96.4). In the worst-case scenario, an overall implant survival of 77.2% (95 CI% 80.3-82.7) was observed after 24 years. Patients who were older than 50 in age at the time of surgery had better survival rates (P = .026). The mean Harris Hip Score at follow-up was 83.1 (range 43-100) and the level of satisfaction was 9/10. The main determinant of postsurgical satisfaction was Harris Hip Score, whereas radiographic alterations explained little with respect to the variation in the outcomes. CONCLUSION: The cementless CLS Spotorno stem displayed satisfactory results 24 years after implantation and high estimated survival until 30 years from surgery. However, patients below the age of 50 at the time of surgery have an increased risk of undergoing revision of their femoral stem.

Ambulatory Ability and Personal Independence After Hemiarthroplasty and Total Arthroplasty for Intracapsular Hip Fracture: A Prospective Comparative Study.

BACKGROUND: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) has not only been associated with best functional outcomes but also with higher dislocation risk when compared with bipolar hemiarthroplasty (HA). The functionality and activities of daily living (ADL) of patients treated with THA or HA for intracapsular hip fracture (IHF) have been scarcely investigated in comparison with the preoperative status. METHODS: Two comparable groups of 60 patients with an IHF who had undergone either THA or bipolar HA were created matching several preoperative characteristics. Matched variables included age, gender, body mass index, surgical delay, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, comorbidity, cognitive status, educational status, prefracture functional status, and radiographic fracture classification. Patients were prospectively followed up for 1 year using telephone interviews. RESULTS: The ambulatory ability (5-item scale) and ADL Index significantly decreased in both the groups in comparison with the prefracture status at the 4-month and 1-year follow-up. The need for walking aids (5-item scale) at 4 months was significantly higher among patients who had undergone HA. Lower scores on the ADL Index were recorded among patients with HA in comparison with those with THA at 4 months and 1 year. No significant differences in ambulatory ability, complication rate, and mortality were detected between the 2 groups although HA and THA were associated with a tendency to a higher prevalence of general and local complications, respectively. CONCLUSION: THA provides better short-term results in terms of ADLs and allows early discontinuation in the use of walking aids as compared with bipolar HA in elderly cognitively intact patients with IHF.