Clinical and roentgenographic evaluation of hydroxyapatite-coated and uncoated porous total hip arthroplasty: a preliminary report.
Sixty osteoarthritic patients undergoing primary uncemented total hip arthroplasty were matched for age and weight and randomized into one of four groups with respect to implant coating and postoperative protected weight-bearing status: group 1, hydroxyapatite, 12 weeks; group 2, uncoated, 12 weeks; group 3, hydroxyapatite, 6 weeks; group 4, uncoated, 6 weeks. Tantalum spheres were implanted periprosthetically into the femur at the time of arthroplasty, thus providing constant references for stereoscopic radiographs. Patients were then evaluated over a 1-year period with clinical examination, plain radiography, and roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA). Clinical evaluation using Charnley scoring showed no significant preoperative or postoperative intergroup differences, whereas visual analog testing noted less thigh pain with hydroxyapatite-coated stems at 12 weeks and 6 months follow-up. Plain radiographic analysis produced no significant differences, with no instability detected and bony ingrowth noted uniformly in all groups. The preliminary stereographic evaluation showed migration in all groups, but there were no significant differences between coated and uncoated stems or 6-week and 12-week partial weightbearing protocols. The Charnley, plain radiographic, and preliminary stereogrammetric evaluations all suggest that migration is unaltered by enhanced surfaces and that early unprotected weightbearing does not jeopardize implant fixation regardless of coating design. The lower incidence of visual analog thigh pain with the hydroxyapatite-coated stems, however, may be a reflection of bony ingrowth and as such add some validity to the theoretical advantages of enhanced surface prostheses.