Total Hip Arthroplasty for Secondary Coxarthrosis in Patients with Hereditary Multiple Exostoses: Minimum 5-Year Follow-up Results and Surgical Considerations

Background Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) is an autosomal dominant disorder. The lesion in the proximal femoral metaphysis can bring about hip dysplasia and subsequent degenerative arthritis. Due to its rare prevalence, there have been a few case reports of total hip arthroplasty (THA) for osteoarthritis secondary to HME. The aim of this study was to report mid- to long-term outcomes of THA in HME patients and discuss special considerations that should be taken into account during surgery. Methods We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and radiological results of THA for osteoarthritis secondary to HME in 11 hips of 9 patients after a minimum follow-up of 5 years (mean, 9.9 years). There were 3 men (3 hips) and 6 women (8 hips), with a mean age of 53.6 years (range, 46.8–58 years) at the index surgery in this study. Harris hip score (HHS) was used for clinical outcome assessment, and radiologically, implant stability, radiolucent lines, liner wear, and any sign of osteolysis or implant loosening were evaluated. Postoperative complications including infection, deep vein thrombosis, and dislocations were also investigated. Results Cemented stems and cementless cups with the conventional polyethylene liner were used in bilateral hips of a single patient. In the other cases, cementless implants were used with ceramic-on-ceramic bearings. The mean HHS improved from 34.8 preoperatively to 92.5 postoperatively. Polyethylene liner wear and osteolysis were observed in 1 patient with cemented stems. Radiolucent lines were observed in 2 different cases. However, the femoral stems remained stable. There were no surgery-related complications except heterotopic ossification during follow-up. Conclusions Despite the several surgical considerations, the mid- to long-term clinical and radiological outcomes of THA in HME patients were satisfactory. The abnormal, wide mediolateral diameter of the proximal metaphysis should be considered in selecting and inserting the stem with adequate anteversion. Leg length discrepancy was also common, so teleradiographs should be obtained before surgery. Intraoperative leg length evaluation might be difficult due to the morphologic changes in the proximal femur after mass excision and individual bone length differences.