The uncemented Bi-Contact total hip arthroplasty

We reviewed a consecutive series of 153 uncemented Bi-Contact (Aesculap, Tuttlingen, Germany) total hip arthroplasties (THAs) in 138 patients who had been followed for at least 5 years (mean, 6.8 years; range, 5–9 years). The Bi-contact uncemented THA consists of a straight femoral stem made of titanium alloy. The proximal portion of the stem is titanium plasma-sprayed. The cup is press-fit with or without hydroxyapatite coating with a facility for anchoring screws with a snap-fit polyethylene liner. The mean age of the patients was 70.8 years (range, 41–94 years). The mean preoperative Harris hip score of 41 (range, 20–80) improved postoperatively to a mean of 92 (range, 56–96). Three acetabular cups were revised for aseptic loosening, and 1 cup was revised for recurrent dislocation. To date, none of the stems have been revised for aseptic loosening. Radiographic evaluation of the remaining 149 hips revealed that the acetabular cup was stable in 146 hips and possibly unstable in the remaining 3 cases with nonprogressive osteolysis behind the cup. None of the stems showed any evidence of instability. Using the recommendation of revision as the endpoint, the cumulative survival for the prosthesis was 97.3% at a mean follow-up of 6.8 years (95% confidence interval, 95.9–99.4) , with stem survival of 100%. In the medium-term, these results are comparable to cemented primary THA and justify the continued use of this prosthesis. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.