Improved Results Using Extensively Coated THA Stems at Minimum 5-Year Followup

The Prodigy® femoral component was extensively coated along its entire length, except for a smooth bullet-shaped distal tip. At a minimum 5 year followup we compared the results of that stem to those of a proximally coated first generation femoral component at comparable followup to address the question of which design performed better. For the extensively coated cohort, 86 patients (100 hips) underwent total hip arthroplasty by a single surgeon. At final followup, no patients were lost to followup and no hips were revised for aseptic loosening. Clinically, 3% of patients reported thigh pain (versus 15% in the proximally coated group). Radiographically, all hips had evidence of bone ingrowth (versus 94% in the PCA group). As expected with an extensively coated device there were fewer radiolucencies around the lower half of the prosthesis as well as less distal femoral lysis compared to the proximally coated stem.

Level of Evidence: Level III, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.