Fourteen-year experience with short cemented stems in total hip replacement

Purpose The age of the population requiring total hip replacement (THR) is increasing and this may lead to a return of cemented stems. Advantages of a short cemented femoral device include preservation of metaphyseal bone, easier insertion, and easier cement removal in case of revision. The purpose of this study is to describe the rationale and assess midterm results of unique innovative short cemented double-tapered polished stem applied with contemporary cementing techniques. Methods Our experience with this short cemented stem includes two different groups of elderly patients. Group 1 (prototype version of the short stem) from January 2005 to January 2008 counts 43 THR. Group 2 (final commercial version of the short stem) from January 2013 to January 2015 counts 54 THR. The average age in groups 1 and 2 was 79 and 75 respectively. Patients underwent clinical follow-up with the Harris Hip Score (HHS) and completed radiographic evaluation. Results Thirty-one patients of group 1 had died for reasons unrelated to their THR. The surviving 9 hips have a follow-up of 11.2 years. In group 2, eight patients died for reasons unrelated to their THR. Follow-up for the surviving 40 patients is 4.6 years. HHS improved in both groups. In 34/43 hips of group 1 and in 41/54 of group 2 we observed a Barrack grade A cement mantle. Survival with revision of the stem for aseptic loosening as the endpoint was 100%. Conclusions This study confirms the effectiveness of a short, polished, collarless, tapered cemented stem implanted with contemporary cementing techniques which appears as successful as the standard sized components.