P. Herberts

Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis as a predictor of mechanical loosening of knee prostheses

The tibial components in 143 patients with total knee replacements performed before 1988 were assessed for micromotion using roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA) over a period of 13 years. The fixation of the prostheses remained clinically sound in all cases, although revision had been required for other reasons in seven. In a second group taken from all cases with RSA available on our full database to 1990, 15 tibial components had been followed by RSA from the insertion until, 1 to 11 years after the initial arthroplasty, they were revised for mechanical loosening of the tibial component; 12 of these comprised all the loosenings in the base group, thus making a total of 155 consecutive cases, while an additional three were inserted after the base material had been compiled. The mean migration in the first group was about 1 mm at one year, but subsequent migration was slower, reaching a mean of about 1.5 mm after ten years. About one-third migrated continuously throughout follow-up, while two-thirds ceased to migrate after one to two years. In the revision group, 14 components had migrated continuously and at one year significantly more than those in the first group. One revision case lacked the crucial one-year follow-up and could not be classified. These findings suggest that mechanical loosening begins early in the postoperative period. Clinical symptoms which necessitate revision, seen at this stage in 20% of abnormally migrating tibial components, may not appear until up to ten years after the operation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Micromotion of femoral stems in total hip arthroplasty. A randomized study of cemented, hydroxyapatite-coated, and porous-coated stems with roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis.

The fixation of the femoral stem in a total hip arthroplasty was studied in sixty patients (sixty-four hips) with use of roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis. The hips were randomly stratified on the basis of the age, sex, and weight of the patient; the roentgenographic quality of the bone; and the reason for the operation (primary or secondary osteoarthrosis). The hips were then randomly assigned to one of three types of fixation of the femoral component: insertion with cement, hydroxyapatite coating, or porous coating. Examinations with roentgen stereophotogrammetry were done as long as two years after the operation. Micromotion of the prostheses was evaluated in terms of subsidence or proximal migration and rotations and translations of the proximal-lateral (shoulder) and distal (tip) parts of the prostheses. The clinical results at the two-year follow-up evaluation did not differ significantly between the groups with regard to the Harris hip score or the pain score (p > 0.05 for both; Wilcoxon rank-sum test). There were small or no differences in rotations and micromotions of the shoulder and the tip of the prostheses. Increased subsidence of 0.1 to 0.2 millimeter was recorded for the cemented and the porous-coated prostheses (p = 0.002 and p = 0.02, respectively; Wilcoxon rank-sum test). Thus, proximal hydroxyapatite coating seems to enhance the early fixation of the stem. Conventional roentgenography revealed an increased number of radiodense lines surrounding the porous-coated prostheses. Distal hypertrophy of the femoral cortex was found mainly around the hydroxyapatite-coated prostheses. Proximal resorption of bone and heterotopic ossification occurred to approximately the same extent regardless of the type of fixation used.

Life expectancy and cost utility after total hip replacement.

In a prospective study of 410 cemented hip replacements in 372 patients with a mean age of 71 years, mortality after 8 years was 33%. Mortality for patients with osteoarthrosis was lower than in an age matched control population, probably because of a preoperative selection of patients. An estimate of costs and adjusted quality of life has shown that total hip replacement has a good cost utility even in the elderly patient. The conclusion of this study is that the indications for hip replacement in the elderly patient can be expanded. Such patients should undergo surgery earlier in the course of their disease.

Multicenter Clinical Trials and Their Value in Assessing Total Joint Arthroplasty

Multicenter clinical trials (MCT) have an important role in the assessment of total joint arthroplasty. The primary reason for such MCT is the need to have access to a large number of patients. In Sweden, failure after total hip arthroplasty has been recorded prospectively since 1979. Medical records from every reoperation are documented and computer analyzed. This MCT has shown that patient-related, surgical, and implant-related parameters are of importance to rates of failure. There were an increasing number of revisions after total hip arthroplasty in Sweden between 1979 and 1986. Male gender and young age increase the risk of revision. The primary diagnosis is very important for type of failure. The risk of deep infection is small but increases with the number of previous operations. Aseptic loosening has emerged as the main problem and is the cause for 74% of all revisions. Prosthetic design is of utmost importance for the rate of failure, and significant differences exist among different prosthesis types with respect to long-term survival. Finally, this MCT has shown that revisions for total hip arthroplasty in patients younger than 70 years of age eventually have failed in Sweden whenever the cemented technique has been used.

The effect of a stem on the tibial component of knee arthroplasty. A roentgen stereophotogrammetric study of uncemented tibial components in the Freeman-Samuelson knee arthroplasty

We studied the effect of a metal tray with an intramedullary stem on the micromotion of the tibial component in total knee arthroplasty. Of 32 uncemented Freeman-Samuelson knee arthroplasties performed in London and Gothenburg, nine had a metal backing and stem added to the tibial component. Micromotion of the tibial components, expressed as migration and inducible displacement, was analysed using roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis up to two years follow-up. The addition of a metal back and a 110 mm stem to the standard polyethylene component significantly reduced both migration over two years and inducible displacement.

Proximally cemented versus uncemented Freeman-Samuelson knee arthroplasty. A prospective randomised study

We studied the effect of a layer of cement placed under the tibial component of Freeman-Samuelson total knee prostheses with a metal back and an 80 mm intramedullary stem, using roentgen stereophotogrammetry to measure the migration of the tibial component during one year in 13 uncemented and 16 cemented knees. The addition of cement produced a significant reduction in migration at one year, from a mean of 1.5 mm to one of 0.5 mm (p less than 0.01), including a significant reduction in pure subsidence. One year postoperatively the clinical results were similar between the groups, but, at three years, one uncemented knee had required revision.

Long-term results of Charnley arthroplasty. A 12-16-year follow-up study.

A retrospective, long-term study was initiated to analyze clinical function, failures, and radiographic status in 95 Charnley low-friction arthroplasties performed during 1973-1977. Only patients with primary osteoarthrosis were included, and no patients were lost during the follow-up period. At the follow-up evaluation, 39 patients (41 hips) were deceased. Ten hips were revised (including 3 of the deceased patients), leaving 47 hips available for follow-up evaluation. Four patients (5 hips) were interviewed by telephone, and the remaining 42 hips were examined by the authors. With a mean follow-up period of 14 years, many of the patients had excellent pain relief with a mean Harris hip score for pain of 42 points (maximum, 44 points). Ninety-four percent of the patients were satisfied with their results. The survivorship for all 95 hips was 92% at 10 years and 83% at 16 years. Follow-up radiographs revealed that three (7%) of the femoral components were definitively loose, but only two (5%) of the acetabular components were probably loose. Forty-three percent of the hips had signs of polyethylene wear of the cup. The clinical and radiographic outcome is, in spite of an early cementing technique, very good in this long-term follow-up study.

Outcome of total hip replacement: a comparison of different measurement methods.

During the past 40 years, improvements have been made in the technique, implant, and surgical environment for total hip replacement, which today is one of the most cost-effective operations done. The aim of this study was to compare different outcome measurement methods and to develop recommendations for optimal followup of total hip replacement. The study involved the outcome of 2604 randomly selected patients in Sweden treated surgically with a modern technique. General questionnaires (the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey and the Nottingham Health Profile) were compared with disease-specific questionnaires (the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index and the Harris hip score). The study showed a good correlation between the studied questionnaires, and all questionnaires used could be suitable for followup study after hip replacement surgery. In clinical practice and for research, a general and disease-specific self-administered score should be used. Some patients (older and low cerebral capacity) have difficulties answering questions on these questionnaires. A new short self-administered general and disease-specific questionnaire was designed: the Total Hip Replacement score. The Total Hip Replacement score provides information about the result of the hip arthroplasty, and the results can be compared with results of other surgical interventions.

POROUS CUPS WITH AND WITHOUT HYDROXYLAPATITE-TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE COATING : 23 MATCHED PAIRS EVALUATED WITH RADIOSTEREOMETRY

Migration, wear, and presence of radiolucencies were studied in 23 matched pairs of patients operated with porous-coated acetabular cups with additional screw fixation. All implants had the same type of titanium fiber mesh. In each pair, one of the cups was plasma-sprayed with a coating consisting of 70% hydroxylapatite (HA) and 30% tricalcium phosphate (TCP). Radiostereometric analysis up to 2 years after the operation revealed smaller rotations around the horizontal axis in cups with HA/TCP coating. The migration of the cup center was not significantly influenced. Evaluation of femoral head penetration in 12 of the matched pairs did not reveal any significant difference. Immediately after operation, implants with HA/TCP coating had more central radiolucencies, which, despite minimal migration, disappeared during the follow-up. The clinical results did not differ between the 2 groups. The findings of less tilting and diminishing radiolucencies in the cups with HA/TCP coating suggest a more complete ingrowth of bone and a better sealing of the interface.

Micromotion of Noncemented Freeman-Samuelson Knee Prostheses in Gonarthrosis: A Roentgen-Stereophotogrammetric Analysis of Eight Successful Cases

Micromotion of the tibial component of eight Freeman-Samuelson arthroplasties without cement for gonarthrosis were followed for two years and studied by roentgen-stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA). In five cases, displacement over time was studied, and in all cases migration was found to range from 0.7 to 4.8 mm after two years. One tibial component migrated continuously during the period studied, while the remaining prostheses migrated mostly during the first six months. The direction of the migration was erratic. Inducible displacement ranging from 0.8 to 5.0 mm was found in all cases. Clinically, all of the patients were scored as successful although one with continuous migration had the lowest score. This degree of micromotion is compatible with good results after two years, and appears to be a characteristic of the immediate interlocking fixation used in the Freeman-Samuelson prosthesis.