Works in progress #6. Total hip arthroplasty using a hydroxyapatite-coated acetabular and femoral component

The development of alternative methods of implant fixation in primary and revision total hip arthroplasty is ongoing. Porous-coated implants abound; however, concerns surrounding their use still exist. Hydroxyapatite is a calcium phosphate ceramic, which has demonstrated properties in animal studies that make it an attractive alternative for implant fixation. We describe the early clinical and roentgenographic results of a prospective study that utilized a hydroxyapatite-coated stem and cup in 52 patients (58 hips). The average follow-up was 10.4 months (minimum, six months). At one year, 96.2% of the hips had no or slight pain, 95.1% could ambulate with no external support, 82.9% could ambulate unlimited distances, and 87.8% could walk without a limp. The roentgenographic analysis of the hydroxyapatite-coated stems (58) and cups (17) at one year revealed no radiolucencies or radiodense lines adjacent to the hydroxyapatite-coated portion of the prosthesis. None of these stems or cups migrated. We believe that these hydroxyapatite-coated components will provide rapid and enhanced prosthetic fixation and are optimistic that they will help to achieve an excellent clinical result.