Id. Learmonth et al., UNPREDICTABLE PROGRESSION OF OSTEOLYSIS FOLLOWING CEMENTLESS HIP-ARTHROPLASTY - 24 FEMORAL COMPONENTS FOLLOWED FOR 6-10 YEARS, Acta orthopaedica Scandinavica, 67(3), 1996, pp. 245-248
We reviewed 24 hips that developed femoral osteolytic lesions followin
g cementless total hip replacement with a Porous-Coated Anatomic prost
hesis after a mean of 8 (6-10) years, 15 of the hips showed hardly any
radiographic deterioration in the osteolysis. 2 became much worse wit
h dramatic loss of bone stock, Both of these hips required revision of
the acetabular component as well as bone grafting of the otherwise we
ll-fixed femoral component, The remaining 7 hips showed mild-to-modera
te enlargement of the lesions, All 24 hips were asymptomatic. Blood te
sts and bone scintigraphy were of no predictive value in assessing the
probable progression of the lesions. Serial radiography remains the c
ornerstone of the monitoring of osteolysis, following cementless hip r
eplacement, the extent of bone loss being usually far greater than ind
icated by radiographic examination.