title: Femoral component fixation with and without intramedullary plug. A 6-year follow-up.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Central Hospital of Satakunta, Pori, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suominen
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Antti-Poika
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tallroth
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santavirta
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Voutilainen
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Lindholm
mesh_terms: 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