Contribution of the BioballTM head–neck adapter to the restoration of femoral offset in hip revision arthroplasty with retention of a well-fixed cup and stem

• Published in: International orthopaedics 2023-09, Vol.47 (9), p.2245-2251
• Main Authors: Chimeno, Clara, Fernández-Valencia, Jenaro Ángel, Alías, Alfonso, Serra, Adrià, Postnikov, Yury, Combalia, Andrés, Muñoz-Mahamud, Ernesto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Paper; Orthopedics
• ISSN: 0341-2695; 1432-5195
• DOI: 10.1007/s00264-023-05833-7

Purpose Failure to restore the femoral offset of the native hip is a potential cause of dysfunctional hip arthroplasty. The aim of this study was to report our experience of using a modular head–neck adapter in revision THA, specifically analyzing its usefulness as a tool to correct a slightly diminished femoral offset. Materials and methods This was a retrospective single-center study including all hip revisions performed at our institution from January 2017 to March 2022 where the BioBall TM head–neck metal adapter was used. The preoperative and one year follow-up modified Merle d’Aubigné hip score was used to evaluate functional outcomes. Results Of a total of 34 cases included for revision, the head–neck adapter system was used specifically in six patients (17.6%) to increase femoral offset, retaining both the acetabular and femoral components. In this subgroup of patients, mean offset decrease after primary THA was 6.6 mm (4.0–9.1), equivalent to a mean 16.3% femoral offset reduction. The median modified Merle d’Aubigné score went from 13.3 preoperatively to 16.2 at one year follow-up. Conclusion The use of a head–neck adapter is a safe and reliable procedure that may allow the surgeon to easily correct a slightly diminished femoral offset in a dysfunctional THA without the need to revise well-fixed prosthetic components.