First hip hemiarthroplasty in a Göttingen Minipig; surgical and post-mortem protocol

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Comparative Pathology
• Surgical Innovation

Background:

• Prosthetic joint infections (PJI) are challenging complications of joint arthroplasty requiring novel treatment strategies.
• Developing clinically relevant animal models is crucial for advancing PJI research.
• Existing models may not fully replicate the complexities of human PJI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a detailed surgical protocol for hip hemiarthroplasty in Göttingen minipigs.
• To develop a comprehensive post-mortem sampling protocol for PJI research.
• To validate the Göttingen minipig as a model for experimental PJI.

Main Methods:

• Hip hemiarthroplasty was performed in three Göttingen minipigs using an anterior surgical approach.
• Post-operative monitoring included daily clinical evaluations and gait scoring.
• Extensive post-mortem analyses encompassed macroscopic examination, microbiology, synovial fluid analysis, and histology.

Main Results:

• The study successfully established hip hemiarthroplasty in Göttingen minipigs, noting a high risk of joint dislocation.
• A spontaneous PJI case highlighted impaired immune cell migration to the bone-prosthesis interface.
• The model provided insights into the challenges of treating PJI.

Conclusions:

• A detailed surgical and post-mortem sampling protocol for hip hemiarthroplasty in minipigs was successfully developed.
• The Göttingen minipig model is validated as suitable for future experimental modeling of prosthetic joint infections.
• This model offers a platform for investigating PJI pathogenesis and testing new therapies.