Dr. Barsoum received a research grant from the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation for his study, which compared the relative stability of the procedures using a cadaveric robot model. He found that several factors influenced the stability of hip implants.
An increase in head-to-neck ration can improve the stability in THA. A larger jump distance, which can be achieved through resurfacing, also improves stability. Either procedure can be influenced by the surrounding soft tissues, since impingement can prevent or cause instability.
Dr. Basoum created a robotic system that enables researchers to replicate the same range of motion with multiple cadavers, according to the report. The robot signals when the hip is about to dislocate before causing soft tissue damage. The robot dislocated each hip in two adverse positions under the conditions of a healthy hip, femoral head resurfacing, THA with a 26-mm head and THA with a larger head-to-neck ratio using a 32-mm head and corresponding liner.
Read the report on THA and hip resurfacing.
Related Articles on Hip Surgery:
Dr. T. Whitney Gibson Performs Hip Arthroplasty on Youngest Patient: 4 Months Old
Study: Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement Could Have Long-Term Satisfactory Results
Hip Surgeons Investigate Hip Resurfacing as an Alternative to Replacement
