Regional variability in the rates of total hip replacement in Spain

When are patients with osteoarthritis referred for surgery?

Current treatment strategies in hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) involve a combined approach that includes not only modification of risk factors and conservative treatment but also joint-preserving surgical therapy in the early stages, or joint replacement in late OA. With the recent development of new etiological concepts (i.e. hip dysplasia and femoroacetabular impingement as major risk factors for hip OA), treatment alternatives for joint preservation could be extended significantly. Satisfactory results of osteotomies and other reconstructive procedures around hip and knee joints can only be expected in early OA (Kellgren/Lawrence grade 0-II). If patients with advanced radiographic OA grades III-IV do not respond to conservative treatment over at least 3 months and express a relevant burden of disease, joint replacement might be considered. Prior to surgery, potential contraindications must be excluded, patient expectations need to be discussed, and modifiable risk factors, which may negatively influence the outcome, should be optimized.

Mortality as a competition risk factor in the survival analysis of the results of the type of fixation of the total hip prosthesis in octogenarian patients

INTRODUCTION

Total hip replacement (THR) is challenging in octogenarians due to associated comorbidities and controversy regarding fixation type. We ask whether cemented THR is superior to uncemented THR in patients above the age of 80 years.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 382 patients (441 hips) aged 80 years or older who underwent THR between 2004 and 2015 were analysed. A cemented THR was implanted in 196 hips (group 1), an uncemented THR with a grit-blasted stem in 121 (group 2), or with a porous-coated stem in 124 (group 3). Patients in group 1 had a higher mean age, more comorbidities and osteoporotic bone. Survival analysis was calculated using cumulative incidence function to account for the competing risk of death.

RESULTS

Medical complications rate was similar. There were 3post-operative fractures: one in group 2 and 2in group 3. Competing risk analysis showed that the cumulative incidence of revision for any cause was 2.3 in group 1, 6.0 in group 2 and 4.1 in group 3 at 10years, and the cumulative incidence of revision for aseptic loosening was 1.2 in group 1, 3.7 in group 2 and 0 in group 3 at the same period.

CONCLUSIONS

THR presents an acceptable number of adverse events for octogenarian patients. Despite uncemented fixation was satisfactory, the higher peri-prosthetic fracture rate worsens results in this group.