Heterotopic ossification in primary total hip arthroplasty using the posterolateral compared to the direct lateral approach

Efficacy of ibuprofen and indomethacin as prophylaxis of heterotopic ossification: a comparative study

The prophylactic action of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in heterotopic ossification (HO) was first described following analgesic therapy with indomethacin. Following that evidence, several compounds have been successfully used for prophylaxes of HO. Ibuprofen has been also proposed for the prevention of HO following THA. The present study compared the administration of ibuprofen for three weeks versus indomethacin as prophylaxis for HO following primary THA. In all THA procedures, pre- and post-operative protocols were conducted in a highly standardized fashion. The type of HO prophylaxis (indomethacin 100 mg/daily or ibuprofen 100 mg/daily) was chosen according to a chronological criterion: from 2017 to 2019 indomethacin was used, whereas from 2019 to 2022 ibuprofen was administered. In case of allergy or intolerance to NSAIDs, no prophylaxis was performed, and patients were included as a control group. All patients who underwent an anteroposterior radiography of the pelvis at a minimum of 12 months following THA were considered for inclusion. On admission, the age and sex of the patients were recorded. Moreover, the causes of osteoarthritis and the date of surgery were recorded. The grade of HO was assigned by a blinded assessor who was not involved in the clinical management of the patients. The modified Brooker Staging System was used to rate the efficacy of the interventions. Data from 1248 patients were collected. 62% (767 of 1248 patients) were women. The mean age was 67.0 ± 2.9 years. The mean follow-up was 21.1 ± 10.8 months. In the ibuprofen group, 73% of patients evidenced Brooker 0, 17% Brooker I, and 10% Brooker II. In the indomethacin group, 77% of patients evidenced Brooker 0, 16% Brooker I, 6% Brooker II. No patient in the ibuprofen and indomethacin group developed Brooker III or IV. In the control group, 64% of patients evidenced Brooker 0, 21% Brooker I, 3% Brooker II, and 12% Brooker III. No patient in the control group developed Brooker IV HO. Concluding, three weeks of administration of ibuprofen demonstrated similar efficacy to indomethacin in preventing HO following primary THA. The prophylaxis with ibuprofen or indomethacin was more effective in preventing HO compared to a control group who did not receive any pharmacological prophylaxis.

Direct Anterior Approach Total Hip Arthroplasty Is Associated With Reduced 1-Year Mortality and Surgical Complications After Femoral Neck Fracture

BACKGROUND

In some studies, the direct anterior approach (DAA) for elective total hip arthroplasty (THA) is associated with decreased dislocation and greater functional gains compared to the posterior approach (PA), as well as higher functional outcomes compared to the direct lateral approach (LA) at 2 weeks postoperatively. Given the paucity of literature on femoral neck fracture (FNF), we aspired to determine the association between the surgical approach used in THA and outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of patients undergoing THA for FNF at 9 institutions from 2010 to 2019. Patients who had high-energy injury mechanisms, were nonambulatory prior to injury, had concomitant femoral head or acetabular fractures, or did not reach minimum 1-year follow-up were excluded. The study included 622 THAs, of which 348 (56%) were performed through a DAA, 197 (32%) through a PA, and 77 (12%) through an LA. Postoperative complications and mortalities at 90 days and 1 year were compared between groups. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed for each outcome of interest.

RESULTS

The DAA was associated with a decreased risk of 90-day dislocation (odds ratio [OR] 0.25; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.10 to 0.62; P = .01), mechanical revision (OR 0.12; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.56; P = .01), and mortality (OR 0.38; 95% CI 0.16 to 0.91; P = .03) compared to the PA. The DAA was also associated with decreased risk of dislocation (OR 0.32; 95% CI 0.14 to 0.74; P = .01), mechanical revision (OR 0.22; 95% CI 0.08 to 0.65; P = .01), and mortality at 1 year compared to PA (OR 0.43; 95% CI 0.21 to 0.85; P = .02).

CONCLUSION

The DAA for THA after FNF is associated with higher in-hospital medical complications but lower risks of postoperative reoperation and mortality. Postdischarge care may impact this association and needs to be addressed in future studies. The DAA should be used among surgeons experienced with the approach for FNF to minimize complications.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Retrospective cohort, Level III.

Efficacy of Ibuprofen after Total Hip Arthroplasty to Prevent Heterotopic Ossification: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant randomized control trials (RCTs) to determine the role of ibuprofen, as well as the optimum dose and duration of therapy, in preventing the incidence of heterotopic ossification (HO) after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). A literature search was performed using the PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane Library databases for RCTs that compared the use of ibuprofen versus placebo as prophylaxis for HO in patients after THA. The main outcomes for this study were overall occurrence of HO, occurrence according to the Brooker classification, and gastrointestinal complications. A total of 27 potential articles were identified from the database. Eventually, four trials with 1,153 patients were included in the final analysis. When compared with placebo, the use of ibuprofen is associated with a reduction in the incidence of HO at the 3- and 12-month follow-up appointments, as well as the incidence of Brooker II and III HO ( p  < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the ibuprofen and placebo groups in terms of treatment discontinuation due to gastrointestinal complications or the incidence of Brooker I and IV HO ( p  > 0.05). The existing data indicates that ibuprofen is safe and efficacious in reducing the total incidence of HO along with Brooker II and III HO at follow-up. However, due to the small number of studies, the conclusions are limited; therefore, more high-quality clinical trials are required to develop guidelines for optimal dose and duration of therapy.

Selective versus non-selective NSAIDs as prophylaxis for heterotopic ossification following hip arthroplasty: a meta-analysis

Background

Some patients have demonstrated evidence of heterotopic ossification (HO) following total hip arthroplasty (THA). Selective and non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used as prophylaxis for HO following THA. This meta-analysis compared selective versus non-selective NSAIDs as prophylaxis for HO following THA.

Material and methods

The present study was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. All the clinical investigations comparing selective versus non-selective NSAIDs as prophylaxis for HO following THA were accessed in February 2022. An assessment of the methodological quality and statistical analyses were performed through the risk of bias summary tool of the Review Manager 5.3 software (Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen). The modified Brooker staging system was used to rate the efficacies of the interventions.

Results

Data from 8 studies and 1526 patients were collected. 60.8% were female. No difference was found in the sample size, mean age, and percentage of females between the two groups at baseline. No statistically significant difference was found between selective and non-selective NSAIDs in term of efficacy. 72% (1078 of 1502) of the patients were classified as Brooker 0, 21% (322 of 1502) as Brooker I, 5% (80 of 1502) as Brooker II, 1% (16 of 1502) as Brooker III, and 0.1% (2 of 1502) as Brooker IV.

Conclusion

Selective and non-selective NSAIDs were equally effective when used as prophylaxis for HO following THA.

Level of evidence

Level III, systematic review and meta-analysis.

Heterotopic ossification after total hip arthroplasty: When is development completed?

Background

Heterotopic ossifications (HO) are a common complication after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have proven to reduce the occurrence of HO. It is still unclear when the formation of HO is finished. Aim of our study was to answer this question.

Methods

In a prospective study, the occurrence of periarticular HO was checked during the follow-up (FU) examinations. In total, 75 consecutive patients who underwent THA were included. To ensure a high follow-up rate, only patients with a life expectancy of at least 10 years were included. A medical ossification prophylaxis with mostly etoricoxib (90 mg once daily) was administered. Follow-up examinations were performed at 3 months, 1 year, 3, 5, and 10 years postoperatively. Each time, a clinical and radiological examination was carried out. The HO was graded according to Brooker’s method.

Results

Low-grade HO classified by Brooker grade I and II occurred significantly more frequent than HO grade III. In patients with present HO, a possible increase in Brooker stage could further be observed within 3 years postoperatively. After 3 years, the formation of HO was completed in all patients.

Conclusion

Three years after THA, the formation of HO is complete. After more than 3 years postoperatively, if HO occurs or increases, other triggering causes such as new trauma, periarticular infection, or implant loosening should be considered.

Total Hip Arthroplasty Performed with a Novel Design Type 1 Femoral Stem: A Retrospective Minimum 5-Year Follow-up Study

Background

The Bencox M stem is a mid-short type 1 stem with additional unique design features. It has a reduced stem length and a lateral shoulder to facilitate minimally invasive surgery, as well as an angular lateral shoulder and a trapezoidal neck to minimize stem-liner impingement. There have been many mid-term reports on type 1 stems, but no results have been reported so far on this novel design type 1 femoral stem. This study presents the clinical and radiological outcomes of total hip arthroplasty performed with the M stem after a minimum 5-year follow-up.

Methods

From July 2014 to February 2015, 125 primary total hip arthroplasties using the M cementless femoral stem were performed on 112 patients in our hospital. Among them, 94 patients (106 hips) were eligible for the study and were followed up for more than 5 years. Our primary outcome was clinical results, which were evaluated by the Harris Hip Score (HHS), thigh pain, noise, and other complications. Secondary outcome was radiological outcomes. Seventy-seven hips were evaluated radiologically with attention to implant fixation, migration, loosening of component, degree of stress shielding, radiolucent lines, focal osteolysis, heterotopic ossification, and the evidence of impingement between the stem and liner.

Results

The average HHS improved from 54.6 points (range, 24–67 points) to 96.8 points (range, 91–100 points) at the latest follow-up. Three hips (2.8%) had intermittent thigh pain, which was tolerable without medication. Five hips (4.7%) had ceramic-related noise. There were no other complications such as infection, nerve injury, dislocation, or revision. All implants showed radiographic evidence of stable fixation by bone ingrowth without migration. Fifty-seven hips (74%) showed mild femoral stress shielding. Distal cortical hypertrophy was detected in 7 hips (9%), and heterotopic ossification was observed in 17 hips (22%). No implant demonstrated focal osteolysis and notching of the femoral neck or shoulder on radiographs.

Conclusions

The minimum 5-year results of total hip arthroplasty performed with the M cementless femoral stem were encouraging clinically and radiologically. A long-term follow-up will be necessary to evaluate its longevity.