Thigh Pain Occurrence Rate in a Short, Tapered, Porous, Proximally-Coated Cementless Femoral Stem - Clinical and Radiological Results at 2-Year Follow-Up

Short stems have been designed with the purpose of preserving bone tissue, decreasing the incidence of thigh pain and facilitating surgical techniques. The aim of our study was to assess whether a shortened tapered conventional stem was able to reduce the incidence of thigh pain. Methods: Between March 2010 and December 2012, 200 patients were enrolled in the study. Visual analogue scale (VAS) that included mapping of the pain, Harris Hip Score (HHS), Short Form-12 (SF-12) and radiographic outcomes were evaluated prior to surgery as well as at 6, 12 and 24 months post-operatively. Results: After 6 months, 6 patients (3%) had thigh pain. After 12 months, 3 patients (1.5%) complained about thigh pain. After 2 years, 2 patients (1%) had thigh pain. There was no correlation between pain and clinical, radiological, or demographic variables. Conclusion: The shortened tapered conventional stem resulted in a lower incidence of thigh pain for up to 2-years following surgery, compared with conventional or other short stems.