The outcomes of total hip arthroplasty in rapidly progressive osteoarthritis: a systematic review

Rapidly progressive osteoarthritis of the hip is an uncommon and poorly understood condition. No universal definition of RPOH exists, however, a loss of joint space of 2 mm or more per year or 50% or more in one year with no other cause can be classed as RPOH. Due to the rapid loss of joint space and associated bone loss, total hip arthroplasty is the only viable treatment option. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the outcomes of THA in RPOH.

A systematic search of Embase, Medline and CINAHL databases was performed for studies reporting on the outcomes of patients with RPOH as their primary diagnosis for undergoing THA. Patient demographics, surgical techniques, implant selection, blood loss, morbidity and mortality, length of stay and patient-reported outcomes were amongst the data collected.

Eight studies were found to be eligible, reporting on the outcomes of 270 patients with a mean age of 71. The majority of patients (88.1%) were female and the mean Body Mass Index was 27.6 kg/m². Six of the eight studies reported on the need for additional reconstructive devices and procedures including the use of acetabular roof augmentation, acetabular reinforcement devices and revision acetabular components. Two studies reported increased blood loss in RPOH patients compared with non-RPOH patients (945 ml vs. 578 ml and 473.9 g vs. 353.9 g, respectively).

RPOH leads to significant pre-operative morbidity and THA for RPOH has been shown to result in greater blood loss, prolonged operative time and increased complexity of the procedure all of which result in increased cost. There is a paucity of data on the long-term outcomes for these patients and more well-constructed studies are therefore required.