A short-stem hip implant with metaphyseal anchorage in patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip

BACKGROUND: Short-stem implants are routinely used for total hip arthroplasty in younger patients that are more likely to have secondary osteoarthritis than older patients. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the applicability of short-stem hip implants for secondary osteoarthritis due to developmental dysplasia of the hip. METHODS: This study analyzed the clinical and radiological results of patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH, 58 hips) and compared them to those of patients with primary osteoarthritis (POA, 59 hips) treated with the metaphyseal total hip arthroplasty (Metha (R)) short stem with metaphyseal fixation. RESULTS: The mean clinical and radiological follow-up periods were 2.9 +/- 1.1 years and 3.8 +/- 1.9 years, respectively. The mean Harris Hip Score (HHS) significantly increased in both groups over this period (p < 0.0001). The caput-collum-diaphysis (CCD) angle was significantly lower in the POA group prior to surgery and significantly increased in the POA and and decreased in DDH groups, respectively. The preoperative femoral offset was lower in the DDH group and increased significantly after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The Metha (R) short stem in patients with DDH allows good reconstruction of joint biomechanics with a good clinical outcome.