The Thrust Plate Prosthesis: long-term clinical and radiological results

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Biomaterials engineering
• Medical device design

Background:

• Total hip arthroplasty (THA) aims to restore function and alleviate pain in patients with hip joint degeneration.
• Traditional THA implants often involve significant bone stock removal, potentially impacting long-term outcomes.
• The Thrust Plate Prosthesis is designed to align with physiologic loading principles of the proximal femur, aiming to preserve bone stock.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term clinical and radiological outcomes of the Thrust Plate Prosthesis in total hip arthroplasty.
• To determine the reoperation-free survival rate of this implant.
• To assess patient-reported pain and radiographic findings associated with the Thrust Plate Prosthesis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 34 patients (36 prostheses) who underwent THA with the Thrust Plate Prosthesis.
• Investigation of reoperation-free survival, clinical symptoms (pain), and radiological parameters (radiolucencies, bone resorption, hypertrophy).
• Mean follow-up duration of 11.9 years in patients with a mean age of 51 years at operation.

Main Results:

• Reoperation-free survival was 88.9% over the follow-up period.
• Four reoperations (11.1%) were performed: three for aseptic loosening and one for a distal fracture.
• Common clinical complaint was lateral hip pain (44%); radiological findings included minimal radiolucencies (<1 mm) and significant calcar hypertrophy (97%).

Conclusions:

• The Thrust Plate Prosthesis demonstrates a relatively high reoperation-free survival rate and favorable radiological results in long-term follow-up.
• It presents a potential alternative to traditional stemmed total hip arthroplasty, particularly for younger patient populations.
• The implant's design, emphasizing physiologic loading and bone preservation, contributes to its encouraging clinical performance.