Broach Only Total Hip Arthroplasty Using a Short, Uncemented, and Collarless, Fit-and-Fill Stem: Average 5-Year Follow-Up.

BACKGROUND

Short femoral stem use in total hip arthroplasty can preserve bone stock and may diminish thigh pain. Tapered-wedge short stems are appealing, because reaming is not typically required as it is with classic "fit-and-fill" designed stems. This study aimed to evaluate the minimum 2-year clinical, radiographic, and clinical results of a short, uncemented, and collarless, fit-and-fill stem implanted using a broach-only technique.

METHODS

The clinical and radiographic results of a consecutive series of 505 cementless THAs were reviewed from 2 to 9 years postoperatively. The average age was 62 years (range, 32 to 91), and 54% of the patients were men. Dorr's class was 31% A, 64% B, and 5% C. All patients were followed for a minimum of 2 years. The average follow-up was 5.6 years (range, two to nine).

RESULTS

At the final follow-up, the average Harris hip and pain scores were 90 and 42, respectively. There were 82% of hips rated as pain-free. A single patient reported activity-related thigh pain. There were no cases of femoral aseptic loosening. At operation, 14% of stems were placed in more than five degrees of varus. An intraoperative femur fracture occurred in 13 hips (2.5%). There were two stems revised (one infection and one late femur fracture).

CONCLUSIONS

The theoretical advantages of using this collarless fit-and-fill stem may be offset by the tendency for varus placement and proximal femur fracture when using a broach-only technique. Nevertheless, the varus stems in this series remain well-ingrown and radiographically stable at an average 5-year follow-up.