ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Ortopedica e Traumatologica 2001 December;52(6):239-44

Copyright © 2001 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Critical review of prosthetic hip implant after at least eight years

Rossi P., Sibelli P., Castoldi F., Amberti F., Dettoni F.

Background. The purpose of this study was to estimate the clinical and radiographic results of a cementless prosthesis of an anatomical type after at least 8 years.
Methods. We evaluated 86 subjects matched for starting anatomical situation in a population of 123 subjects with at least 8 years of follow-up; of these 33 cases were lost for various reasons (deaths, failure to respond to regular check-up appointments, etc.). The long-term results of the remaining patients were evaluated and compared with those from other European studies. The results included both the clinical component, based on Merle d'Aubigné's functional classification, and the radiographic element using Gruen's subdivision into periprosthetic zones for the stem and De Lee Charnley's method for the acetabulum.
Results. The clinical evaluation showed that patients reached a Merle d'Aubigné value at least 17 in over 90% of cases in just one year and this level remained constant for up to 8 years. In the radiographic evaluation at acetabular level, the most frequent image shows radiographical silence, while at the stem level frequent cortical-spongiose thickening indicates good osteointegration.
Conclusions. The data collected provide good indications regarding the prosthesis, but before the operation can be deemed a definitive success a follow-up of at least 15 years is required to compare these data with other cemented prostheses for which such long-term results already exist.