Femoral component fixation with and without intramedullary plug. A 6-year follow-up.
A total of 113 patients underwent a cemented total hip replacement (THR) operation involving femoral component fixation either without the use of a distal intramedullary plug (n = 57, group 1) or with the plug (n = 56, group 2). We studied the femoral component fixation radiographically at on average 6 years after THR. The cement coating was assessed as technically good in 86% and 95% of groups 1 and 2, respectively. There was radiographically diagnosable loosening of the femoral component at the follow-up in 25 cases in which stems were inserted without the intramedullary plug, and in 6 cases in those with the plug (P < 0.0008), and the mean subsidence of the femoral component was 5 mm in group 1 and 1.5 mm (P < 0.0003) in group 2, respectively. Osteolytic changes around the femoral component were noticed in both groups in equal numbers and with no statistical difference. The use of a distal intramedullary plug in the cementation of the femoral stem results in a better cement coating, reduces femoral component subsidence and ameliorates the loosening rates.
Suominen
S
S
Central Hospital of Satakunta, Pori, Finland.
Antti-Poika
I
I
Tallroth
K
K
Santavirta
S
S
Voutilainen
P
P
Lindholm
T S
TS
D000368:Aged; D002484:Cementation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006622:Hip Prosthesis / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D016896:Treatment Outcome