Abstracts Posters SICOT-SOF meeting Gothenburg 2010 _2_

Poster
Topic: Arthroplasty - Hip
Abstract number: 23164
LEG LENGTH DISCREPANCY IN CEMENTLESS TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY
Christopher PECK, Karan MALHOTRA, Winston KIM
Salford Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester (UNITED KINGDOM)
The use of cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA) is increasing, but in order to
achieve rotational and axial stability larger implants may be required than originally
templated for. This could potentially result in greater limb length inequality. Our
objective was to determine whether there is greater inequality in limb length postoperatively
in cementless THA compared with cemented. 136 consecutive patients
undergoing elective THA between June 2007 and May 2008 were included in this
retrospective study. Post-operative, digital radiographs were examined and limb
length inequality was calculated as the difference between perpendicular distance
between the inter-teardrop line and the most prominent points on the lesser
trochanter of each limb. Of the 136 patients 27 (20%) underwent a cemented
procedure and 109 (80%) a cementless procedure. Post operatively in the cemented
group seven patients (26%) had some degree of shortening, 19 (70%) had some
degree of lengthening. In the cementless group 32 patients (29%) had some degree
of shortening, 67 (61%) had some degree of lengthening. There was no significant
difference between these proportions (P = 0.949). In the cemented group the mean
leg length discrepancy was 7.3 mm (range 19 mm short to 21 mm long). In the
cementless group the mean measured leg length discrepancy was 6.3 mm (range 18
mm short to 23 mm long). There was no significant difference between the two
groups (P = 0.526).This study shows that with accurate pre-operative templating,
both cemented and cementless procedures produce comparable and acceptable limb
length discrepancies.
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