Effect of Stem Design and Positioning on the Leg Axis after Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Secondary Analysis

Background/Objectives: Various parameters, like femoral offset and leg length, are associated with good patient outcomes after total hip arthroplasty. In this prospective study, the effects of stem design, its placement in the proximal femur and the resulting femoral offset on the total leg axis were investigated. Methods: The 27 patients included in this study received biplanar radiography (EOS^®, EOS Imaging) with 3D reconstruction using sterEOS^® both preoperatively and postoperatively. For all leg alignment parameters obtained from the 3D reconstruction and from measurements using mediCAD, the deltas between the postoperative and preoperative values were determined. Patients were divided into those who received a short-stem prosthesis and those who received a straight-stem prosthesis. Results: The change in femoral offset with the implantation of a short-stem prosthesis was significantly greater than that with the implantation of a straight-stem prosthesis (11.4 ± 5.9 vs. 4.6 ± 7.4 mm, p = 0.014). Compared with the straight-stem implantation, short-stem implantation caused a significantly greater increase in the varus orientation of the leg (-1.4 ± 0.9 vs. -0.4 ± 1.4°, p = 0.048). There was no significant difference in the positioning of the short-stem prosthesis compared to the straight-stem prosthesis in the proximal femur (3.6 ± 3.1 vs. 2.6 ± 1.9°, p = 0.317). Conclusions: These findings substantiate the impact of prosthesis design on offset and leg alignment. The implantation of short-stems is more variable and requires precise planning. Intraoperative non-physiological offset changes and varus deviation of the leg axis should be avoided. Trial registration: This study was retrospectively registered with the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) under the number DRKS00015053 on the 1 August 2018.