SINGLE SURGEON SERIES’ EXPERIENCE WITH THE REEF™ IMPLANT IN FEMORAL RECONSTRUCTION AND REVISION HIP ARTHROPLASTY

Introduction: REEF™ is a modular distal locking implant, indicated for use in extensive loosening of femoral stems, peri-prosthetic hip fractures, and tumour surgery requiring distal anchorage to allow resection of the femur proximally. Very little experience with the REEF™ has been reported. Objective: We report on a single surgeon series of 16 patients who underwent femoral reconstruction using the REEF™ during revision hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods and Results: This is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on 16 patients (14 females) who underwent revision THA using the REEF™, between 1998 to 2007with a mean follow-up of 16 months (range, 3 to 60). Indications were peri-prosthetic fractures in 9 cases (Vancouver B1 in one case, B2 in 4 cases and B3 in 4), aseptic loosening with significant bone loss in 3 (Paprosky IIIA in one case, Paprosky IIB in one and Type IV in one), osteolysis (Paprosky IV) secondary to infection in 1, non-union of peri-prosthetic fracture in 2 (Vancouver B2 and B3) and fracture around a spacer in one case. The mean HHS at 3 months post-operatively was 72 (range, 57 to 76). The median pre-operative/pre-injury University of California, Los Angeles hip rating system (UCLA) was 1. The median UCLA at longest follow-up was 3.5 (range, 1 to 4) with 10 patients having a score greater than 3. Mean time to clinical evidence of implant integration was 4 months (range, 2 to 12). No evidence of subsidence was noted. Four dislocations were seen. No dislocation was seen in the 6 patients who had a Posterior Lip Augmentation Device (PLAD™) inserted at the time of revision THA. One stem fracture occurred requiring revision surgery with a longer REEF™ implant. Two patients died in the immediate post-operative period. Conclusion: Results of revision THA using the REEF™ implant are encouraging. We recommend the use of the REEF™ with the judicious use of PLAD™ in difficult revision THA.