Comparison of Trochanteric Slide and Subtrochanteric Shortening Osteotomy in the Treatment of Severe Hip Dysplasia: Mid-Term Clinical Outcomes of Cementless Total Hip Arthroplasty

The aim of this study is to compare clinical results of Crowe type III-IV developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty with either trochanteric slide osteotomy (TSO) or subtrochanteric shortening osteotomy (SSO).

The patients who underwent cementless total hip arthroplasty with femoral shortening osteotomy due to Crowe type III/IV DDH between 2004 and 2014 and completed at least 5 years of follow-up were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were grouped according to the type of shortening osteotomy as either TSO or SSO. Preoperative and postoperative clinical evaluation included Harris Hip Score, Visual Analogue Scale pain, leg length discrepancy, and the presence of Trendelenburg sign. The clinical outcome measures and complication rates were compared in terms of osteotomy type.

The TSO group consisted of 34 patients (43 hips) and the SSO group consisted of 40 patients (51 hips). The SSO group (96.1%) had a slightly higher 5-year survival of the implant compared to TSO (93%) without statistical significance ( P = .18). No significant difference was detected between the groups in terms of clinical outcomes. Complication rates did not significantly differ between the groups except for the lack of bony union which was significantly higher in TSO ( P = .006) but this difference did not transform into clinical significance since 5 of 6 patients who did not have a bony union in the TSO group were symptom-free with a fibrous union.

TSO and SSO provide similar clinical outcomes at mid-term follow-up in the management of Crowe III-IV DDH by cementless total hip arthroplasty. Both techniques can be used safely depending on the surgeon’s preference.

Level III, Therapeutic, Case-control study.