PRECISION-FIT SURFACE HEMIARTHROPLASTY FOR FEMORAL-HEAD OSTEONECROSIS- LONG-TERM RESULTS

Cemented Ti-6Al-4V components were used to resurface ten femoral heads in nine young adult patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head ( average age 32 years; range 20 to 51). There were eight hips at Ficat stage III: and two at stage IV. Five hips have maintained satisfactory function for an average period of 11.2 years (10 to 12.2) with no rad iographic evidence of component loosening or osteolysis; five have bee n revised after an average period of 7.8 years (3.3 to 10.3) for pain caused by deterioration of the acetabular cartilage. No component requ ired revision for loosening and the specimens retrieved at revision sh owed no evidence of osteolysis despite burnishing of the titanium bear ing surface and the presence of particulate titanium debris in the tis sues.