The Effect of Stem Fit on Bone Hypertrophy and Pain Relief in Cementless Total Hip Arthroplasty

This study was designed to clinically evaluate the effects of a tight distal fit and collar seating in hips with a cylindrical distal stem, collar, and proximal porous coating. A clinical assessment of pain and a roentgenographic assessment of patterns of proximal femoral hypertrophy were made in 105 patients. Intraoperative evaluations of the distal stem fit were performed so that a tight distal fit was ensured in 67 patients. Thirty-eight patients who did not have intraoperative sizing were determined roentgenographically to have a loose distal fit. Pain was significantly more likely to occur in those patients with a loose distal fit (20 of 38) than in those with a tight distal fit (two of 67). Collar seating was associated with hypertrophy under the seated portion of the collar in all cases, and failure to seat the collar was associated with recession and rounding of the upper femoral cortical edge. Distal hypertrophy occurred in 24 of the 67 hips with a tight distal fit, and a tight distal fit did not prevent proximal hypertrophy. It was concluded that a tight distal fit is associated with more complete pain relief in cementless total hip arthroplasty and that a tight distal fit of a cylindrical stem does not prevent proximal load bearing.