Modular tapered conical revision stem in hip revision surgery: mid- term results

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper is to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of a fluted tapered modular distal-fixation stem at medium to long-term follow-up. The hypothesis of this investigation was to verify if the use of this implant design may have provided potential advantages in femoral revisions and post-traumatic instances where the restoration of the anatomy was the prime concern. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 62 cases of femoral revision surgeries, performed in Paprosky type IIIA and IIIB bone defects between January 2001 and December 2011 with a mean follow-up of 8.5 ± 1.5 years (range 5.1–15.9 years) where a modular fluted stem was used. The clinical assessment was performed with the Harris Hip Score (HHS), and the radiographic evaluation was carried in order to assess the stability of the femoral component. Intra-operative and postoperative complications were recorded, and the rates of complications and revisions for any cause were determined. RESULTS: Mean HHS improved 35.4 points from the preoperative assessment. Radiographic evaluation showed a stable stem anchorage in 90.3% of the cases at the last follow-up. Five (8%) implants required additional surgery. Neither breakage of the stem nor loosening of the taper junction were recorded. Kaplan-Meier survivorship was 89.4% (CI: 88.8–90%) for any complication and 92.3% (CI: 91.8–92.7%) according to revision for any causes at 81 months follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that this stem design is a reliable option in cases of complex femoral bone defects, as well as in cases with high functional deficiencies, with promising survivorship.