A SIMPLE TECHNIQUE FOR DISTAL CEMENT PLUG REMOVAL IN TOTAL HIP-ARTHROPLASTY REVISION SURGERY

During replacement of loosened or painful cemented femoral prosthetic stem, the extraction of a large size distal cement plug is rarely an e asy matter. To make it simple, quick and safe (no wide surgical exposu re, no X-ray exposure) we propose a new technique based upon the perfo ration of the cement plug by a drill which crosses a jig inserted into the cavity where the femoral stem had been removed. Correctly used th e procedure can help the surgeon to solve the difficult problem of rem oving the femoral cement plug and consequently it can allow the placem ent of a biomechanically ideal conventional length femoral component i nto a femur not weakened by a perforation, a fenestration or an osteot omy.