Does femoral stem choice influence fracture type or incidence for direct anterior approach total hip arthroplasty?

Periprosthetic femoral fractures in minimally-invasive anterolateral short stem versus transgluteal straight stem cementless total hip arthroplasty: What are the differences in the femoral and pelvic morphology?

BACKGROUND

The occurrence of periprosthetic femoral fractures (PFFs) in cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA) might be associated with the proximal femoral morphology and the pelvis. PFFs in short stem THA are associated with an increased Canal Flare Index. PFFs in straight stem THA show a decreased Canal Flare Index. Therefore, this study aims to compare the femoral and pelvic geometry in PFFs between short stem and straight stem THA.

METHODS

A retrospective comparative propensity-score matched study was performed. An institutional database of 5358 THAs was screened for early PFFs within the first 90 days after surgery. All cases of 136 PFFs in primary cementless THA were collected and matched, resulting in 67 PFFs in the straight stem and 37 PFFs in the short stem group. Both groups were analyzed regarding several parameters for femoral and pelvic morphology.

RESULTS

A significantly lower distance from the anterior superior iliac spine to the greater trochanter (AGT) was detected in the straight stem group (96.4 vs. 104.8 mm, p = 0.024). All other femoral and pelvic parameters did not differ between both groups. Postoperative Vancouver A PFFs were significantly higher in straight stem THA, while postoperative Vancouver B PFFs were significantly higher in short stem THA.

CONCLUSION

The morphology of the proximal femur and the pelvis do not differ in several radiological parameters in patients sustaining a PFF between cementless short stem implanted via an anterolateral approach and straight stem THA implanted via a transgluteal approach. While there are differences in the Vancouver types of PFFs, these differences do not reflect any difference in the morphology of the proximal femur and the pelvis.

The influence of mental health on early outcomes following total hip arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

Poor mental health is difficult to recognize and as a result, its association with recovery from total joint arthroplasty is difficult to assess. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between overall mental health scores and outcomes in the early postoperative period following unilateral total hip arthroplasty (THA).

METHODS

This is a retrospective review of prospectively collected data involving 142 patients who underwent primary unilateral THA. Independent variables included patient demographics and preoperative Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), Global Physical Health (GPH) and Global Mental Health (GMH) and Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, Joint Replacement (HOOS JR) scores as well as diagnoses of depression or anxiety. Dependent variables included length of stay (LOS), disposition at discharge, narcotic consumption until discharge, 6-week postoperative GPH, GMH and HOOS JR scores and magnitude of change compared to preoperative scores. Preoperative GMH and postoperative outcomes were compared using Pearson correlation coefficient, independent t-tests, Pearson's Chi-Square test, and univariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

Patients with preoperative GMH scores below the 25% quartile were less likely to be discharged home and resulted in lower GPH, GMH and HOOS JR scores at 6-week follow-up compared to patients with preoperative GMH scores in the top 25% quartile. However, patients with low preoperative GMH scores demonstrated a greater magnitude of improvement in both the GPH and GMH scores compared to patients in the top 25% quartile. There was no difference in opioid consumption or LOS between either groups. When comparing patients with and without depression/anxiety, no difference was seen in any of the outcomes measured.

CONCLUSION

Unilateral THA offers significant improvements in both physical and mental function to patients with hip osteoarthritis and poor mental health, though overall scores remain lower than in those with better mental health.

Rectangular Taper Stem Designs Are Associated With a Higher Risk for Periprosthstic Femoral Fractures After Cementless Total Hip Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

Periprosthetic femoral fractures (PFFs) remain a major concern following cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA). This study aimed to evaluate the association between different types of cementless tapered stems and the risk of postoperative PFF.

METHODS

A retrospective review of primary THAs performed at a single center from January 2011 to December 2018 included 3,315 hips (2,326 patients). Cementless stems were classified according to their design. The incidence of PFF was compared between flat taper porous-coated stems (type A), rectangular taper grit-blasted stems (type B1), and quadrangular taper hydroxyapatite-coated stems (type B2). Multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify independent factors related to PFF. The mean follow-up duration was 61 months (range, 12 to 139). Overall, 45 (1.4%) postoperative PFFs occurred.

RESULTS

The incidence of PFF was significantly higher in type B1 stems than in type A and type B2 stems (1.8 versus 0.7 versus 0.7%; P = .022). Additionally, more surgical treatments (1.7 versus 0.5 versus 0.7%; P = .013) and femoral revisions (1.2 versus 0.2 versus 0%; P = .004) were required for PFF in type B1 stems. After controlling for confounding variables, older age, diagnosis of hip fracture, and use of type B1 stems were significant factors associated with PFF.

CONCLUSION

Type B1 rectangular taper stems were found to have higher risks for postoperative PFF and PFF requiring surgical management than type A and type B2 stems in THA. Femoral stem geometry should be considered when planning for cementless THA in elderly patients who have compromised bone quality.

Periprosthetic Femoral Fractures in Cementless Short Versus Straight Stem Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis

BACKGROUND

Recent studies indicate a decreased risk of periprosthetic femoral fractures (PFFs) in cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA) for short compared to straight stems. However, the results are still inconclusive. Therefore, we retrospectively investigated the rate of PFFs within the first year between cementless short and straight stem THA.

METHODS

A 1:1 propensity score matching of 3,053 THAs was performed. Two groups including 1,147 short stem THAs implanted through a minimally invasive antero-lateral approach and 1,147 straight stem THAs implanted through a transgluteal Hardinge approach were matched. The rates of PFFs and fracture patterns were compared between both stem types. Risk factors for PFFs were analyzed by multivariate regression analyses.

RESULTS

The overall rate of PFFs was 1.7% in short stem THA and 3.2% in straight stem THA (P = .015). Postoperatively detected Vancouver A fractures occurred significantly more often in straight stem THA (P = .002), while the occurrence Vancouver B fractures did not differ significantly (P = .563). The risk of PFFs was significantly increased for women in straight stem THA (Odds ratio (OR) 2.620; Confidence Interval (CI) 1.172-5.856; P = .019). Increasing age showed a significantly increased odds ratio in short stem (OR 1.103; CI 1.041-1.169, P < .001) and straight stem THA (OR 1.057; CI 1.014-1.101, P = .008).

CONCLUSION

Short stem THA reduces Vancouver Type A PFFs in the trochanteric region compared to straight stem THA, while Vancouver Type B fractures are comparable. Increasing age is a significant risk factor for both stem types, while the risk for PFFs in women was only significantly increased in the straight stem group.