Perioperative mortality after hemiarthroplasty related to fixation method: A study based on the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The appropriate fixation method for hemiarthroplasty of the hip as it relates to implant survivorship and patient mortality is a matter of ongoing debate. We examined the influence of fixation method on revision rate and mortality. METHODS: We analyzed approximately 25,000 hemiarthroplasty cases from the AOA National Joint Replacement Registry. Deaths at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 1 year were compared for all patients and among subgroups based on implant type. RESULTS: Patients treated with cemented monoblock hemiarthroplasty had a 1.7-times higher day-1 mortality compared to uncemented monoblock components (p < 0.001). This finding was reversed by 1 week, 1 month, and 1 year after surgery (p < 0.001). Modular hemiarthroplasties did not reveal a difference in mortality between fixation methods at any time point. INTERPRETATION: This study shows lower (or similar) overall mortality with cemented hemiarthroplasty of the hip.