Total cementless hip joint arthroplasty is universally recognized as a method of treatment of ad-vanced hip osteoarthritis. Multifaceted research by a wide group of implant specialists has led to the development of special implants that fulfill their purpose even in the most severe deformities of the hip joint. The aim of the study is to present and analyse the results of hip joint arthroplasty with the Antega anatomical stem.
The study enrolled 533 patients (342 women and 191 men) who underwent a total of 595 hip joint arthroplasties with the Antega anatomical stem. The mean age of the patients at surgery was 56.2 years (range: 20-87 years). The mean follow-up period was 7.3 years (range: 5-15.5 years).
Pre-operative Merle d'Aubigne-Postel scores (modified by Charnley) were poor in all patients. Mean post-operative improvement was 6.1 points. The outcomes were classified as excellent in 419 cases (70.4%), good in 102 cases (17.1%), satisfactory in 39 (6.6%) and poor in 34 cases. Poor results were usually associated with loosening of one of the prosthetic components. Heterotopic ossification was noted in 37 cases (6.2%). According to the Kaplan-Meier estimator, 10 years' survival probability was 89.9% for the whole implant and 96.1% for the stem alone.
1. Our follow-up data (from a mean follow-up period of more than 10 years) indicate that the Antega anatomical stem affords excellent clinical and functional results. 2. With good surgical technique and in the absence of complications, the risk of aseptic loosening is minimal. 3. Modification of the Antega stem implantation technique significantly reduces the risk of so-called unexplained thigh pain, which sometimes occurs following hip replacement surgery. 4. As only medium-term follow-up data are available, there may be more cases of loosening (mainly of the acetabular cup) over time, requiring regular long-term follow-up.