(Ivanhoe Newswire) – Hip implants without cement introduced back in the
mid-1980s are holding up well.
The latest report from researchers who have been following some the original
patients shows 96 percent of 124 cementless metal components used in the
procedures are still securely in place 20 years following the operations.
The implants, which were designed by Dr. Jorge Galante, have a porous structure
that allows bone to actually grow into the surface. Earlier implants used a
special cement to secure the implant to the patient’s bones and were prone to
failure after about 10 years of use.
“The hope was to provide more durable fixation, especially for younger patients
with a longer life span,” Dr. Galante was quoted as saying.
The most recent outcomes are based on the experiences of 111 surviving patients.
While some failures have occurred over time – for example, 20 percent of
patients have needed surgery to repair the plastic lining of the metal shell of
the implant, and cases of osteolysis, or bone resorption, have increased –
overall the results are considered good.
Recent improvements promise even better results in the future.
“With time, the number of repeat surgeries due to wear and osteolysis has
increased, as have the numbers of cases of osteolysis we identified
radiologically,” study author Dr. Craig Della Valle, from Rush University
Medical Center, was quoted as saying. “But with the newer, more wear-resistant
bearing surfaces we are now using, we believe that fewer patients today will
need revision surgery for these reasons.”
SOURCE: Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, published online May 1, 2009
