The Metal-Cancellous Cementless Lübeck total hip arthroplasty. Five-to-nine-year results

We implanted 51 Metal-Cancellous Cementless Lübeck (MCCL) prostheses into 45 patients with dysplastic hips and followed 49 hips (96.1%) for five to nine years. One had needed revision for stem fracture and one for infection; the clinical outcome of the other 47 hips was assessed using the Merle d'Aubigné and Postel hip score. All hips were either excellent (63%) or good (37%). Three patients (6%) had mild thigh pain at six months, but this had settled within two years. Serial radiographs showed stable fixation with bone ingrowth in all hips, with increased density of the cancellous bone in contact with the implant and some trabecular ingrowth. There was early varus shift of the stem in one hip, but this stabilised in three months. Osteolysis of the femoral cortex was seen in one hip at seven years after surgery, and mild bone resorption due to stress shielding in 31 (63%). Acetabular bone grafting with autogenous bone from the femoral head gave successful support to the socket in 13 hips. The MCCL prosthesis gave satisfactory mid-term results in patients with osteoarthritis secondary to hip dysplasia.