EFFECT OF A CENTRALIZING DEVICE ON CEMENT MANTLE DEFICIENCIES AND INITIAL PROSTHETIC ALIGNMENT IN TOTAL HIP-ARTHROPLASTY

Sixty consecutive patients undergoing a primary hybrid total hip arthr oplasty were randomized to receive a femoral component either with or without a distal centralizing device. The group with a centralizer had significantly fewer patients with cement mantle deficiencies (excessi vely thin areas of cement) than the group without a centralizer (P < . 001). Furthermore, the centralizer group was, on average, in a neutral alignment, whereas the group without a centralizer was in a varus ali gnment (P < .001). It was concluded that the distal centralizing devic e significantly decreases the incidence of cement mantle deficiencies and reproducibly aids in achieving a more neutral prosthetic alignment .