Total hip replacement with an uncemented Wagner cone stem for patients with congenital hip dysplasia

Purpose The purpose of this study was to review retrospectively the cases operated upon in our department in recent years with a Wagner stem and a small socket in cases of Crowe I or II dysplastic hips. Methods We conducted a retrospective clinical radiological review of 30 hips diagnosed with hip dysplasia Crowe I or II treated in our centre between 2002 and 2008. All of them were treated with a Wagner cone stem and a small Trilogy acetabulum (Zimmer ®). Results There were 15 men and 11 women with 13 left and 17 right femurs. Mean follow-up was 43.44 months (range 14–87). Eight patients were Crowe I type and 22 were Crowe II type. Merlé d'Aubigne score pre-operatively was 12.23 and at the last follow-up was 15.54. Mean leg length inequality was 1.79 and after surgery it was 0.69 cm. Complications included three infection and three dislocations (two of them in the same patient). Conclusions The use of a Wagner stem is a good option to correct the different deformities in the proximal femur in these cases. A small socket allows a correct relocation of the acetabulum in a dysplastic socket with good bone coverage.