Total hip arthroplasty with satin finish, tapered stems

Subsidence of femoral hip prostheses with a rough surface has been associated with osteolysis and loosening. However, recent evidence has suggested that smooth-finish tapered stems may not incur these problems. An experimental monobloc satin finish, tapered femoral component was designed to subside within the cement. There were 49 femoral components implanted, and patients averaged a 1.8-mm subsidence at the prosthesis-cement interface with a follow-up of 6.76 years. There were no failures attributable to aseptic loosening at the cement-bone interface. This study supports the use of a satin finish, tapered femoral component in cemented total hip arthroplasty.