Imageless navigation of hip resurfacing arthroplasty increases the implant accuracy

• Published in: International orthopaedics Vol. 33; no. 2; pp. 365 - 372
• Main Authors: Schnurr, C., Michael, J. W. P., Eysel, P., König, D. P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01-04-2009
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip - methods; Cohort Studies; Female; Femur Neck - surgery; Follow-Up Studies; Hip Prosthesis; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Original Paper; Orthopedics; Osteoarthritis, Hip - diagnostic imaging; Osteoarthritis, Hip - surgery; Pain, Postoperative - physiopathology; Probability; Prosthesis Design; Prosthesis Failure; Radiography; Recovery of Function; Retrospective Studies; Severity of Illness Index; Surgery, Computer-Assisted - methods; Treatment Outcome; Wound Healing - physiology; Femoral Component; Conventional Group; Femoral Neck Fracture; Computer Navigation; Femoral Neck
• ISSN: 0341-2695; 1432-5195
• DOI: 10.1007/s00264-007-0494-7

Surface arthroplasty of the hip is increasingly popular. Optimising the position of the femoral component is essential to avoid early implant failures such as femoral neck fractures. Sixty hip surface replacements were retrospectively analysed. In 30 patients imageless navigation was used, and 30 patients were operated upon using conventional jigs. Accuracy, implant position, operating time, and complications have been recorded. The navigation device improved the implant position with high accuracy. Implant-shaft angles <130° and uncovered cancellous bone of the superior femoral neck could be safely avoided. After a significant learning curve, navigation took 15 minutes longer than conventional implantation. No complications were found in either group. Computer-assisted navigation allowed accurate implantation of the femoral component avoiding pitfalls of hip surface replacement. From our point of view the optimal placement of the femoral component outweighs the disadvantage of a longer operating time.