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The Trident constrained acetabular (bipolar) component for recurrent dislocation. New mode of liner failure
1Oxford Joint Reconstruction Service, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford, UK. harvie1@tiscali.co.uk
Summary
Constrained acetabular components can treat recurrent hip dislocation after surgery. However, these components can fail, with a rare failure at the bipolar/insert interface being described here.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic surgery
- Biomedical engineering
- Implant failure analysis
Background:
- Recurrent dislocation after hip reconstructive surgery is a significant clinical challenge.
- Constrained acetabular components are utilized to manage instability in select patients.
- Component failure can occur despite proper implantation, often at the liner-shell or shell-bone interfaces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a previously undocumented mode of failure in a constrained acetabular component.
- To describe the failure mechanism at the bipolar/insert interface of a Trident bipolar acetabular component.
Main Methods:
- Case report detailing the failure of a specific implant.
- Analysis of the failure interface within the acetabular component.
Main Results:
- The Trident bipolar acetabular component failed at the bipolar/insert interface.
- This represents a novel failure mode, distinct from previously reported modes like aseptic loosening or trauma-induced failure at other interfaces.
Conclusions:
- Failure at the bipolar/insert interface is a possible, albeit rare, complication of constrained acetabular components.
- Understanding novel failure modes is crucial for improving implant design and patient outcomes in hip reconstruction.