Total hip replacement using MINIMA^® short stem: A short-term follow-up study

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Radiology

Background:

• Total hip replacement (THR) is a highly successful orthopaedic procedure.
• Femoral stem length is a critical factor in THR prosthesis design.
• Limited clinical data exists for some current femoral stem designs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the short-term clinical and radiological outcomes of the novel MINIMA® squared section, tapered short femoral stem in THR.
• To assess the safety and efficacy of this new short stem design.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from 61 patients undergoing THR with the MINIMA® short stem.
• Minimum 1-year follow-up, collecting data on demographics, arthritis type, bone morphology, perioperative details, clinical scores (Harris Hip Score, EQ-5D, pain, satisfaction), complications, and radiological findings.
• Radiological assessment included bone ingrowth, radiolucent lines, and stem subsidence.

Main Results:

• No major complications (revision, fracture, dislocation, infection) were observed in 61 patients (mean age 56 years) with a mean follow-up of 2.8 years.
• Significant improvements noted in mean pain scores (6.3 to 0.1), Harris Hip Score (58.7 to 95.1), and EQ-5D (77.3 to 79.8).
• High patient satisfaction (9.9/10), stable bone ingrowth with no radiolucent lines, and acceptable stem subsidence were reported.

Conclusions:

• The MINIMA® short stem demonstrates excellent short-term clinical and radiological results in total hip replacement.
• This study represents the first report on this specific short femoral stem design.
• Longer follow-up and larger patient cohorts are recommended to further validate these findings.