Randomised Controlled Trial of Short and Conventional Length Cemented Total Hip Replacement (SCoFS)

Research summary

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most commonly performed and most successful orthopaedic operations. A THA procedure involves implanting a prosthetic stem & cup into the femur and acetabulum respectively. The implants can be secured to the host bone in two ways; with bone cement (a cemented implant) or by relying upon bone growth into or onto the implant (an uncemented implant). Several design features of THA implants have been areas of research interest, aimed at improving outcomes, enhancing longevity & reducing complication rates. In recent times a particular area of research interest has been the impact of the length of the femoral stem on the performance, longevity and complication profile for uncemented implants. There have been numerous research articles investigating the performance of short versus long uncemented femoral stems. The impact of the length of cemented femoral stems has been less extensively investigated. Shorter femoral components carry the theoretical benefit of preserving more ‘normal’ bone and facilitating minimally invasive surgery. The length of a cemented femoral stem impacts the mechanical behaviour within the cement mantle. It is unclear if this altered mechanical behaviour is detrimental or beneficial to the implants function and longevity. This study aims to address this question.

Principal Investigator

Victoria (Naomi) Gibbs

Contact us

Email: gail.lang@ndorms.ox.ac.uk

IRAS number

336246