Bone remodelling of the proximal femur after total hip arthroplasty with 2 different hip implant designs: 15 years follow-up of the thrust plate prosthesis and the Bi-Metric stem

INTRODUCTION: The thrust plate prosthesis (TPP) was introduced to preserve bone in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. We assessed the long-term results of hip arthroplasty in patients who received the TPP compared to a traditional intramedullary stem (Bi-Metric).

METHODS: In this prospective observational cohort study, we evaluated bone mineral density (BMD) using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), radiological imaging and clinical outcome using Harris Hip Score (HHS). Twenty patients received the TPP (group A) and 18 patients received the Bi-Metric stem (group B). Baseline was the 1st postoperative day, and subsequent follow-up was performed at 6 months, 1, 2, 8, 12 and 15 years after surgery. A four regions of interest (ROI) protocol was developed to assess BMD.

RESULTS: In ROI1, bone resorption was significantly higher for group A at 6 months with a mean difference of 10% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4-16; p = 0.003) and 8% (95% CI, 1-15; p = 0.03) at 8 years. Regarding ROI4, group A had a lesser decrease in general compared to group B. The radiological findings did not reveal any subsidence or detectable implant migration. HHS improved from 53 (23-69) to 93 (55-100) in group A and from 51 (24-72) to 94 (78-100) in group B.

CONCLUSION: The TPP was not found to be inferior to the Bi-Metric stem regarding bone preservation. The decrease in BMD in ROI4 was greater in group B. Clinical and radiological results also revealed that the TPP was not inferior to the Bi-Metric stem.