Proximal Femoral Allograft Treatment of Vancouver Type-B3 Periprosthetic Femoral Fractures After Total Hip Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic femoral fractures following total hip arthroplasty are becoming more prevalent. When a fracture occurs in a femur with substantial proximal bone deficiency, the surgical options for revision are limited. One option includes the use of a proximal femoral allograft. METHODS: We retrospectively assessed the results and complications of the use of a proximal femoral allograft to treat twenty-five Vancouver type-B3 periprosthetic fractures in twenty-four patients. The mean duration of follow-up was 5.1 years. Clinical results were graded with use of the Harris hip score. Radiographs were assessed for evidence of trochanteric union, host-allograft union, allograft resorption, and component loosening or fracture. Failure of the procedure was defined as the need for revision surgery requiring graft removal. RESULTS: The mean postoperative Harris hip score was 70.8. At the time of the final follow-up, twenty-one of the twenty-four patients reported no or mild pain and twenty-three patients were able to walk; fifteen required a walking aid. The greater trochanter united in seventeen of the twenty-five hips, and osseous union of the allograft to the host femur occurred in twenty hips. There was mild graft resorption in four hips and moderate graft resorption in two. Four (16%) of the twenty-five hips required repeat revision. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a proximal femoral allograft for the treatment of a Vancouver type-B3 periprosthetic femoral fracture can provide a satisfactory result in terms of pain relief and function at five years.