Abstract:
Measuring the migration and subsidence of hip prosthetics, using established methods for quality control, after a total hip replacement. One main focus is the evaluation of the measuring method, which has clinical implications.
The goal of the study was to examine this method, EBRA-FCA (Ein-Bild-Röntgen Analyse – Femoral-Component-Analysis), along with experimental studies, to evaluate and gain information pertaining to the precision of measurements when determining the migration and subsidence of the prosthesis. EBRA-FCA is a computer-supported method. The subsidence or migration of the prosthesis, as the case may be, is measured with the use of fixed reference points. Using a tilt study, which involves the tilt and rotation of the femur, the influence of these types of movements on the subsidence was examined to obtain the precision of the measurements.
To simulate a more clinical situation, more combinations of movement were added and a controlled subsidence was simulated. Through this, the precision of the measurement was compared with the actual subsidence effects that were tested. Measurements through the use of conventional methods on an X-ray series were also performed.
These comparisons showed that EBRA-FCA was superior when compared to the more common methods of measurement. In the study of the subsidence effect, the relative movement of the implant could be more precisely measured in comparison to the bones at the simulation of the initial subsidence with subsequent consolidation of the implants; the EBRA-FCA results lie within the exact actual values. The development, or rather the dynamic, could also be accurately recognized. The subsidence analysis demonstrated that the recognition of the quality of the subsidence using EBRA-FCA is superior to the quantity. EBRA-FCA is thus superior when compared to conventional measurements.
EBRA-FCA is a method suited for radiological clinical monitoring of hip prosthetics. EBRA-FCA can therefore with high precision measurement and low effort help recognize the aseptic loosening of the hip prosthetics.