Objective

Aseptic hip prosthesis loosening is the most important long-term complication in total hip arthroplasty. Polyethylene (PE) wear is the dominant etiologic factor in aseptic loosening, which together with other factors induces mechanisms resulting in bone loss, and finally in implant loosening. The single-shot radiograph analysis (EBRA, abbreviation for the German term “Einzel-Bild-Röntgenanalyse”) is a computerized method for early radiological prediction of aseptic loosening. In this study, EBRA parameters were correlated with histomorphological parameters of the periprosthetic membrane.

Methods

Periprosthetic membranes obtained from 19 patients during revision surgery of loosened ABG I-type total hip prostheses were analyzed histologically and morphometrically. The pre-existing EBRA parameters, the thickness of the PE debris layer and the dimension of inclination and anteversion, were compared with the density of macrophages and giant cells. Additionally, the semiquantitatively determined density of lymphocytes, plasma cells, giant cells and the size of the necrotic areas were correlated with the EBRA results.

Results

All periprosthetic membranes were classified as debris-induced type membranes. We found a positive correlation between the number of giant cells and the thickness of the PE debris layer. There was no significant correlation between the number of macrophages or all semiquantitative parameters and EBRA parameters. The number of giant cells decreased with implant duration.

Conclusion

The morphometrically measured number of foreign body giant cells more closely reflects the results of the EBRA. The semiquantitative estimation of giant cell density could not substitute for the morphometrical analysis. The density of macrophages, lymphocytes, plasma cells and the size of necrotic areas did not correlate with the EBRA parameters, indicating that there is no correlation with aseptic loosening.

Search results

Correlation of Quantitative Histopathological Morphology and Quantitative Radiological Analysis during Aseptic Loosening of Hip Endoprostheses