Charnley total hip arthroplasty with cement. Fifteen-year results

B F Kavanagh1, M A Dewitz, D M Ilstrup

  • 1Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905.

Insights

Long-term follow-up of Charnley total hip arthroplasties shows good pain relief for most patients. While loosening incidence increases over time, failure rates remain relatively low, indicating durable outcomes for cemented hip replacements.

Area of Science:

  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Biomaterials Science
  • Clinical Outcomes Research

Background:

  • Cemented total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a common procedure for hip osteoarthritis.
  • Long-term data on the durability and functional outcomes of early cemented THA are crucial for understanding implant longevity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the long-term clinical and radiographic outcomes of the first 333 Charnley total hip arthroplasties performed with cement at the Mayo Clinic.
  • To assess the incidence of component loosening and overall failure rates up to fifteen years postoperatively.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 333 cemented Charnley THAs with a minimum fifteen-year follow-up.
  • Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate the probability of loosening and failure.
  • Mayo Clinic clinical and radiographic scoring system was applied to assess hip function and results.

Main Results:

  • Eighty percent of living patients reported no pain at fifteen years.
  • 152 of 160 hips showed significant improvement compared to pre-operative status.
  • Probable loosening incidence reached 32% at fifteen years, while failure probability was 12.7%.

Conclusions:

  • Cemented Charnley total hip arthroplasty provides durable pain relief and functional improvement for most patients over fifteen years.
  • While radiographic loosening increases over time, the rate of symptomatic loosening and revision surgery remains acceptable.
  • The functional outcomes showed slight deterioration over the long term, highlighting the need for continued monitoring.

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