Use of Cortical Strut Allograft After Extended Trochanteric Osteotomy in Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Cortical strut allografts restore bone stock and improve postoperative clinical scores after revision total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, use of a cortical strut allograft is implicated in delayed healing of an extended trochanteric osteotomy (ETO). To date, there are no reports directly comparing ETO with or without cortical strut allografts.

METHODS: We reviewed prospectively gathered data on 50 revision THAs performed from 2004-2014 using an ETO. We compared the demographic, radiological, and clinical outcome of patients with (16 hips) and without (34 hips) cortical strut allograft after an ETO.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences in Western Ontario McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index or Harris Hip Score between the ETOs with and without a cortical strut allograft. Fifteen of the ETOs (94%) with a cortical strut allograft and 31 of the ETOs (91%) without a cortical strut allograft were in situ at final follow-up (P = 1.000). A higher proportion hips with cortical strut allograft (100%, 16 patients) had preoperative Paprosky grade bone loss more than IIIA compared to those without allograft (29%, 10 patients) (P < .001). There were no differences in femoral stem subsidence (P = .207), alignment (P = .934), or migration of the osteotomized fragment (P = .171). Fourteen of the ETOs (88%) in patients with cortical strut allograft united compared to 34 ETOs (100%) in patients without allograft (P = .095).

CONCLUSION: Our study shows that the use of cortical strut allograft during revision THA with ETO does not reduce the rate of union, radiological or clinical outcomes.