Systematic review: lack of evidence for the success of revision arthroplasty outcome in younger patients

Similar wear rates of 1st and 2nd generation highly cross-linked polyethylene in primary total hip arthroplasty in patients less than 30 years of age: A minimum 5-year follow-up

BACKGROUND

Younger patients who undergo total hip arthroplasty (THA) often exhibit higher activity and functionality. After the 1 st generation highly cross-linked polyethylene liners (HXLPE), there was advancement with the development of the 2nd generation Vitamin E-infused highly cross-linked polyethylene (VEPE) for polyethylene liners. However, there is limited research comparing these advancements, especially in younger patients. Therefore we did a retrospective comparative study aiming to determine: 1) the wear rate, 2) survivorships of the 1 st and 2nd generations of HXLPE in patients aged <30 years who underwent THA.

HYPOTHESIS

There is no difference between first and second generation of highly cross-linked polyethylene regarding lower linear and volumetric wear rates.

METHODS

From 2008-2019, we selected 121 patients, 150 hips of ceramic-polyethylene articulation THA in patients aged <30 years at least 5 years of follow-up. These patients were divided into two groups: 80 hips for 1 st generation HXLPE and 70 hips for 2nd generation VEPE. Both groups had no significant difference regarding age, gender, BMI, and the indication for THA. We compared the wear rate of polyethylene in both groups using PolyWare 7 software and assessed the 5-year THA survival rate.

RESULTS

In both groups, there was no significant difference in linear and volumetric wear, as measured using PolyWare 7 software. Linear wear rate was 0.0365 ± 0.0187 mm/yr in the 1 st generation HXLPE and 0.0351 ± 0.0171 mm/yr in the 2nd generation VEPE groups. Volumetric wear rate was 20.848 ± 11.319 mm3/yr in the 1 st generation HXLPE and 18.679 ± 7.933 mm3/yr in the 2nd generation VEPE groups. The overall 5-year survival rate post-surgery was 98.7%; no significant difference in the survival rates between the 1 st and 2nd generation groups (98.8 and 98.6% for the 1 st and 2nd generation groups).

CONCLUSION

In young patients, there was no significant difference in the wear rates between the 1 st generation HXLPE and 2nd generation VEPE when using ceramic-polyethylene bearing surfaces. Based on the analysis of complications, survival rates, and functional scores post-surgery, the results of THA using ceramic-any HXLPE articulation were satisfactory in patients aged <30 years.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III; Case-control study.

Bioactivity Enhancement of Plasma-Sprayed Hydroxyapatite Coatings through Non-Contact Corona Electrical Charging

Atmospheric plasma spray (APS) remains the only certified industrial process to produce hydroxyapatite (Hap) coatings on orthopaedic and dental implants intended for commercialization. Despite the established clinical success of Hap-coated implants, such as hip and knee arthroplasties, a concern is being raised regarding the failure and revision rates in younger patients, which are increasing rapidly worldwide. The lifetime risk of replacement for patients in the 50-60 age interval is about 35%, which is significantly higher than 5% for patients aged 70 or older. Improved implants targeted at younger patients are a necessity that experts have been alerted to. One approach is to enhance their bioactivity. For this purpose, the method with the most outstanding biological results is the electrical polarization of Hap, which remarkably accelerates implant osteointegration. There is, however, the technical challenge of charging the coatings. Although this is straightforward on bulk samples with planar faces, it is not easy on coatings, and there are several problems regarding the application of electrodes. To the best of our knowledge, this study demonstrates, for the first time, the electrical charging of APS Hap coatings using a non-contact, electrode-free method: corona charging. Bioactivity enhancement is observed, establishing the promising potential of corona charging in orthopedics and dental implantology. It is found that the coatings can store charge at the surface and bulk levels up to high surface potentials (>1000 V). The biological in vitro results show higher Ca²⁺ and P⁵⁺ intakes in charged coatings compared to non-charged coatings. Moreover, a higher osteoblastic cellular proliferation is promoted in the charged coatings, indicating the promising potential of corona-charged coatings when applied in orthopedics and dental implantology.

The risk of revision after total hip arthroplasty in young patients depends on surgical approach, femoral head size and bearing type; an analysis of 19,682 operations in the Dutch arthroplasty register

Background

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is used increasingly in younger patients. There is little knowledge about the effect of THA characteristics on risk of revision, especially in young patients. Therefore, we studied the influence of both patient-related and surgical factors on the risk of revision using data from the Dutch Arthroplasty Registry (LROI).

Methods

All patients younger than 55 years with a primary THA implanted in the Netherlands between 2007 and 2017 were selected (n = 19,682). The covariates age, sex, primary diagnosis, ASA-classification, surgical approach, fixation method, bearing type, head size and year of surgery were entered into Cox proportional hazards models to calculate hazard ratios for the risk of revision.

Results

The overall 5-year survival of primary THA was 95.3% (95% CI, 94.9–95.6). Use of the anterior approach resulted in a lower risk of revision than the use of the posterolateral approach (HR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.47–0.92). THAs with a head diameter ≥ 38 mm had a higher risk of revision (HR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.33–2.72) than THAs with 32 mm heads. Use of MoM bearings resulted in an increased risk when compared to C-PE (HR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.27–2.43).

Conclusion

The risk of revision in patients younger than 55 years depends on surgical approach, head size and bearing type. The anterior approach resulted in a decreased risk of revision, whereas use of ≥38 mm heads and MoM bearings resulted in an increased risk of revision for any reason.