Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is the standard procedure for post-traumatic osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip after acetabular fracture. However, it is not as simple as a primary THA, challenging the surgeon with anatomical deformity and intra and postoperative complications. In the current literature, there is a lack of studies reporting long-term results. May ceramic-on-ceramic (CoC) bearings provide good clinical and radiological outcomes at a long-term follow-up in patients undergoing THA following acetabular fracture?
We retrospectively analyzed 68 patients (mean age 47 years [range 22-75)] who underwent cementless modular neck stem THA, all implants CoC bearings (50 previously operatively treated and 18 non-operatively treated) after a specific CT study protocol at our Institute since 2000-2008. Clinical outcomes, prosthetic components' osseointegration, survival rate, and reasons for revision were analyzed. Minimum clinical and radiological follow-up was 10 years.
HHS improved significantly after surgery from 37.6 ± 14.1 to 88.4 ± 11.6. 8 revision surgeries were performed, none for infection: we reported 2 stem aseptic loosening, 2 periprosthetic femoral fractures and 4 modular neck fractures. One implant noise (third-generation ceramic coupling) was described. Cup osseointegration was present (according to Moore the presence of at least 3 radiological criteria defines an effective osseointegration) in 67 patients (98.5%). After a 10 years follow-up, survival rate resulted 88.4%, sensibly higher than most of results reported in the current literature.
The high survival rate may be related to CoC: no osteolysis and no infections were reported. Also acetabular cup loosening incidence was sensibly lower (1.47%) among loosening rate described by other authors. Clinical and radiological outcomes were decent, probably due to modular prosthesis design. Modular necks are a solution which can help achieving a proper functional reconstruction of the hip (offset, center of rotation), but should be avoided in young and overweight patients because of the high risk of fracture. CoC bearings in THAs in post-traumatic OA after acetabular fracture showed good results despite the fact that specific ceramic-related issues have to be considered.