Risk Factors for Trochanteric Bursitis Following Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Radiographic Analysis

Trochanteric bursitis (TB) is a prevalent complication following total hip arthroplasty (THA), with increased offset hypothesized as a potential risk factor. This study investigated potential TB predictors in THA patients, including radiographic measurements of offset and leg length, comorbidities, and patient characteristics.

In this retrospective cohort study, all THA patients from a single academic tertiary care center between 2005 and 2021 were reviewed. Exclusion criteria included less than one-year follow-up, osteonecrosis, or fracture. Manual radiographic measurements of offset (acetabular, femoral, and total) and leg length from preoperative and postoperative antero-posterior pelvis X-rays were taken, with scaling using femoral cortical diameter. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were employed to estimate TB risk.

Of 1,094 patients, 103 (9.4%) developed TB, with a median (Q1, Q3) time to presentation of 41.8 weeks (25.5, 66.9). In univariable models, only sex was associated with increased TB risk, with women exhibiting a 1.79 times increased risk (hazard ratio: 1.79 (1.16, 2.76), P = .009). Changes in acetabular offset, femoral offset, total offset, and leg length between preoperative and postoperative radiographs were not associated with an increased risk of developing TB in the univariate or multivariate models. Furthermore, various offset thresholds were evaluated, with no amount of increased offset showing increased TB risk.

This study found no relationship between femoral, acetabular, or total offset and TB following THA. These findings suggest that surgeons may consider adding offset for increased prosthetic stability in high-risk cases. However, given that this is a retrospective study, the authors are not advocating for the routine use of increased offset. The study identified women as a risk factor with a 1.79 times higher TB risk, highlighting the importance of counseling women patients on this heightened risk.