Hidenobu Miki

Preservation of the bone mineral density of the femur after surface replacement of the hip

We investigated the effect of the Birmingham hip resurfacing (BHR) arthroplasty on the bone mineral density (BMD) of the femur. A comparative study was carried out on 26 hips in 25 patients. Group A consisted of 13 patients (13 hips) who had undergone resurfacing hip arthroplasty with the BHR system and group B of 12 patients (13 hips) who had had cementless total hip arthroplasty with a proximal circumferential plasma-spray titanium-coated anatomic Ti6A14V stem. Patients were matched for gender, state of disease and age at the time of surgery. The periprosthetic BMD of the femur was measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiomentry of the Gruen zones at two years in patients in groups A and B. The median values of the BMD in zones 1 and 7 were 99% and 111%, respectively. The post-operative loss of the BMD in the proximal femur was significantly greater in group B than in group A. These findings show that the BHR system preserves the bone stock of the proximal femur after surgery.

Phase transformation of a zirconia ceramic head after total hip arthroplasty

We report two cases of surface deterioration of a zirconia ceramic femoral head associated with phase transformation after total hip arthroplasty. One head was retrieved at revision due to recurrent dislocation after six years and the other because of failure of the locking mechanism of the polyethylene liner after three years. The monoclinic content of the zirconia ceramics rose from 1% to about 30% on the surface of the heads. SEM revealed numerous craters indicating extraction of the zirconia ceramics at the surface. Surface roughness increased from an initial value of 0.006 microm up to 0.12 microm. This is the first report to show that phase transformation of zirconia ceramics causes deterioration of the surface roughness of the head in vivo after total hip arthroplasty.

Does alendronate prevent collapse in osteonecrosis of the femoral head

Progression of collapse in osteonecrosis of the femoral head is related to the repair response, especially bone resorption around the necrotic region. A preliminary clinical study was done to determine whether systemic alendronate would prevent collapse and lead to pain relief in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Fourteen patients (20 hips) with osteonecrosis of the femoral head received daily administration of 5 mg alendronate (alendronate group) for 1 year. Eight patients (13 hips) with osteonecrosis of the femoral head did not receive alendronate (control group). All patients had measurements of biochemical markers of bone turnover at entry into the study, and the patients in the alendronate group repeated the measurements at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. All patients had clinical and plain radiographic examinations at entry into the study and at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. The alendronate group showed a greater decrease of biochemical marker of bone resorption than biochemical marker of bone formation. The alendronate group showed a lower frequency of collapse of the femoral head and reported less hip pain than the control group. Our results suggest alendronate has the potential to prevent collapse of the femoral head, even with extensive necrosis, presumably by inhibiting bone resorption in the necrotic region. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic study, level II (prospective comparative study). See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Eleven- to 14-year follow-up results of cementless total hip arthroplasty using a third-generation alumina ceramic-on-ceramic bearing.

To analyze long-term survivorship of cementless total hip arthroplasties (THAs) with the third-generation alumina ceramic-on-ceramic bearing, 100 consecutive THAs between 1996 and 1998 were reviewed. One cup and 2 stems were revised due to aseptic loosening. Another cup showed chipping of the acetabular liner at 8 years and required cup revision. The remaining hips showed stable bone ingrowth fixation with no osteolysis at the final follow-up. The 14-year survivorship as the end point of revision was 97.9% for the cup, 97.8% for the stem, and 95.7% for the overall implants, respectively. We conclude that cementless THA with the third-generation ceramic-on-ceramic hip bearing provided an excellent survivorship and eliminated periprosthetic osteolysis for 11 to 14 years.

Minimum Five-Year Follow-Up Wear Measurement of Longevity Highly Cross-Linked Polyethylene Cup Against Cobalt-Chromium or Zirconia Heads

We investigated the efficacy of combining highly cross-linked polyethylene with ceramic heads on further reduction in polyethylene wear compared with the combination with cobalt-chromium heads via PolyWare computer-assisted method. A prospective cohort study was performed on 102 cementless total hip arthroplasties using Longevity (Zimmer, Warsaw, Ind) highly cross-linked polyethylene liners. Either 26-mm zirconia heads or 26-mm cobalt-chromium heads were randomly used in 51 hips each. At a mean follow-up of 6.7 years, no significant differences were identified between the groups for total penetration rate and steady-state wear rate. Osteolysis was not observed in any hips in either group. In conclusion, no advantage was seen for the 26-mm zirconia head compared with the 26-mm cobalt-chromium head in this period.

Dynamic Measurements of Hip Movement in Deep Bending Activities After Total Hip Arthroplasty Using a 4-Dimensional Motion Analysis System

Although deep hip bending activities are often required in Asian populations because of traditional lifestyles and religious practices, few have examined the required hip range of motion (ROM) in these activities after total hip arthroplasty (THA). We performed postoperative motion analysis to evaluate the differences in required ROMs between Japanese-style and Western-style deep hip bending activities, to investigate whether prosthetic impingement would occur during these activities and to clarify the necessity for precautions in these activities after THA. Japanese-style activities did not require larger hip ROMs than Western-style ones, and all required hip flexion angles were less than 120°. Prosthetic impingement was not observed, with a safety margin 10° or higher until impingement in any directions of flexion, adduction, or internal rotation for any activities. Thus, particular postoperative precautions for Japanese-style activities are not required.

Does CT-based navigation improve the long-term survival in ceramic-on-ceramic THA?

BackgroundAlthough navigated THA provides improved precision in implant positioning and alignment, it is unclear whether these translate into long-term implant survival.Questions/PurposesWe compared survivorship, dislocation rate, and incidence of radiographic failures such as loosening and bearing breakage after THA with and without navigation at a minimum 10-year followup.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 46 patients (60 hips) and 97 patients (120 hips) receiving THA with or without a CT-based navigation system, respectively, using cementless THA ceramic-on-ceramic bearing couples. There were no differences in age, sex, diagnosis, height, weight, BMI, or preoperative clinical score between groups. We evaluated survivorship, mode of acetabular and femoral component fixation, osteolysis, and implant wear or breakage at a minimum followup of 10 years (average, 11 years; range, 10–13 years).ResultsSurvival at 13 years was 100% with navigation and 95.6% (95% CI, 88.4%–98.4%) without navigation. With navigation, all cups were placed within a zone of 40° (range, 30°–50°) of radiographic inclination and 15° (range, 5°–15°) of radiographic anteversion; without navigation, 31 cups (26%) were placed outside this zone. Hips treated without navigation had a higher rate of dislocation (8%) than the navigated cases (0%). Revision was performed in four nonnavigated cases, all of which showed evidence of neck impingement on the ceramic liner. Moreover, seven other cases without navigation showed posterior neck erosion on radiographs. These 11 impingement-related mechanical complications correlated with cup malorientation, and the incidence of impingement-related complications was higher in nonnavigated cases.ConclusionsNavigation reduced the rates of dislocation and impingement-related mechanical complications leading to revision in cementless THA using ceramic-on-ceramic bearing couples over a minimum 10-year followup.Level of EvidenceLevel III, therapeutic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Accuracy of angle and position of the cup using computed tomography-based navigation systems in total hip arthroplasty.

Abstract Objective: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the accuracy of computed tomography (CT)-based navigation and to investigate whether the level of surgeon experience affects the accuracy of cup positioning under navigation. Methods: This study investigated 117 hips in 103 patients who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) by 7 surgeons using a CT-based navigation system. Pre- and postoperative CT images were matched using a volume registration technique. Postoperative cup angles and positions were then measured using the same pelvic coordinates, and results were compared for experienced and inexperienced surgeons. Results: The mean absolute error of the cup angle was 1.8 ± 1.6° for inclination and 1.2 ± 1.1° for anteversion. The mean absolute errors of cup position were 1.9 ± 1.5 mm, 1.4 ± 1.2 mm, and 1.9 ± 1.3 mm on the x-, y- and z-axes, respectively. No significant differences in accuracy were identified between experienced and inexperienced surgeons. Conclusions: The absolute spatial error of cup position was ≤2 mm for each axis, and the angle error was ≤2° for the angles of inclination and anteversion. This navigation system could therefore help surgeons perform accurate cup placement irrespective of the surgeon’s level of experience.

Clinical Efficacy of Mechanical Thromboprophylaxis Without Anticoagulant Drugs for Elective Hip Surgery in an Asian Population

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of mechanical thromboprophylaxis after elective hip surgery, we reviewed 3016 patients who underwent hip surgery at 5 centers. Primary total hip arthroplasty (THA), revision THA, and pelvic or femoral osteotomies were performed in 2648, 298, and 70 patients, respectively. Epidural anesthesia, intraoperative calf bandage, early mobilization, and intermittent pneumatic compression postoperatively with additional use of elastic stockings were the basic regimen for thromboprophylaxis. Postoperatively, no cases of fatal pulmonary embolism (PE) were encountered. One symptomatic PE and 4 symptomatic deep vein thrombosis cases were identified, all of which were successfully treated using heparin and warfarin. By 6 months, no deaths had occurred. We conclude that mechanical thromboprophylaxis without anticoagulant drugs is safe and effective for elective hip surgeries in our patient population.

Comparison of mini-incision total hip arthroplasty through an anterior approach and a posterior approach using navigation.

This study reports on differences in the use of minimally invasive surgery for total hip arthroplasty related to the direction of cup insertion against the operating table, intraoperative hip range of motion, stability, and a choice of cup liners for both a mini-incision posterior approach (MPA) and a mini-incision anterior approach (MAA) using Stryker Navigations CT-Hip system. The MPA group consisted of 39 consecutive patients and the MAA group consisted of 33 consecutive patients. Clinically, there was no significant difference in the average Japanese Orthopedic Association hip score or the Oxford hip score preoperatively and at 6 months and 2 years follow-up. The intraoperative joint stability measurements showed no large difference between the two groups when malpositioning of the cup was eliminated.