A randomized trial of hydroxyapatite coated prostheses in total hip arthroplasty

In a prospective randomized trial, 62 consecutive primary cementless total hip arthroplasties in 55 patients were performed by one surgeon using eithe r hydroxyapatite coated (35 hips) or nonhydroxyapatite coated femoral prost heses (27 hips). The dual tapered femoral stem had a Ti-6Al-4V plasma spray ed circumferential proximal porous coat applied to the proximal 1/3 of the stem. The middle 1/3 had a roughened blasted textured surface, and the dist al 1/3 had a smooth surface. The hydroxyapatite coated femoral stems had an additional hydroxyapatite coating applied to the proximal porous coat with use of an air plasma process. The patients in the two groups were not sign ificantly different regarding age (48.2 +/- 9.0 years hydroxyapatite group, 50.4 +/- 8.7 years control group), gender, Charnley class, or length of fo llowup (4.4 +/-: 0.7 years hydroxyapatite group, 4.9 +/- 1.0 years control group).