Background: The annual volume of patients requiring revision total hip arthroplasty prior to age 60 is projected to increase considerably. Despite this, outcome data for revision THA in these younger patients remain limited. The purpose of this study was to define implant survivorship, identify risk factors for re-revision, and determine clinical outcomes of revision THA in patients aged ≤60 years.
Methods: We identified 191 revision THAs performed in patients aged ≤60 years. Minimum 4-year follow-up was obtained in 141 (73.8%) hips (mean 10.3 years [range, 4-20]). Mean age was 48 years (range, 20-60). Forty-five hips (32%) had previously been revised. Indications for index revision included aseptic loosening (28%), polyethylene wear (26%), dislocation (20%), and infection (14%). Outcome measures were Kaplan-Meier survival free from re-revision and patient-reported outcome scores (mHHS, UCLA).
Results: Survivorship free from re-revision for any cause was 78% [95% CI=70-85] at five years and 71% [62-78] at ten years. The most common indication for re-revision at both five and ten years was dislocation (12% [8-19], 16% [10-23]), followed by infection (6% [3-12], 10% [5-18]) and aseptic loosening (2% [1-7], 4% [1-11]). Mean scores were improved from baseline at six (mHHS +21.4, UCLA +0.9) and twelve years (mHHS +13.4, UCLA +0.5).
Conclusion: Revision THA in patients less than 60 years of age was associated with considerably lower rates of early loosening-related failure than historically reported. Recurrent dislocation and infection appear to remain challenges in this population. Despite improvements in survivorship from earlier studies, patient-reported functional improvements remained relatively unchanged. Level of Evidence: IV.
Keywords: THA; arthroplasty; hip; revision; young; younger.
Copyright © The Iowa Orthopaedic Journal 2023.