Long-Term Results of Cementless Total Hip Arthroplasty for Patients With High Hip Dislocation After Childhood Pyogenic Infection

The purpose of this study is to analyze the 10-year outcomes of cementless, modular total hip arthroplasty (THA) in adult patients who had high dislocation secondary to childhood pyogenic arthritis.

We retrospectively followed 56 consecutive patients who underwent cementless, modular THA for the late sequelae of childhood septic arthritis of the hip from 2001 to 2011. There were 23 men and 33 women with a mean age of 47 years (24 to 68). Of the 56 hips, 25 were classified as Crowe type III and 31 as type IV. Mean follow-up was 10.7 years.

One hip with a quiescent period of 23 years had recurrence of infection. Revision surgery was performed in 2 patients because of loosening and breakage of femoral stem and new infection with no correlation with childhood sepsis, respectively. The mean Harris hip scores improved from 44.2 points preoperatively to 87.5 points at final follow-up. Similarly, the Hip dysfunction and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score and hip pain also significantly improved at the latest follow-up. The mean acetabular cup abduction was 40.8° and the mean anteversion 27.8°, respectively. There were 5 cases of transient nerve palsy and 5 cases of intraoperative fracture.

THA can reliably restore the abnormal anatomy and provide good results in these young and active patients who had high hip dislocation secondary to childhood pyogenic arthritis with a relatively high incidence of complications. However, these complications can be treated.