The HELICA-endoprosthesis - a new cementless hip endoprosthesis for dogs.

摘要

The HELICA-endoprosthesis is a newly developed cementless hip endoprostheses for dogs. The screw is anchored in the femoral neck and the cup is screwed in the acetabulum. The aim of this study was to evaluate its clinical application and to analyse the first experiences in using HELICA-endoprostheses. HELICA-endoprostheses was implanted in 23 dogs with severe hip osteoarthritis and a history of pain. In 14 cases, the prosthesis was implanted on the left, and in nine dogs on the right side. The body weight of dogs varied between 22 and 54 kg, at ages between 10 months and 9 years. In all patients, a clinical and radiological examination was performed six weeks postoperatively and in 15 dogs also 12 months after surgery. The femoral stem as well as the acetabular component of the prosthesis were solely screwed into position. An additional fixation with screws was not necessary, due to complete osteointegration of the implants. The prostheses was available in five standard sizes and the various components such as the stem, cup and head could be combined with each other. A strong anchoring of the prostheses with the bone was observed in all cases. One patient had a loose cup and femoral stem a few days after surgery. In another case, loosening of the stem occurred six weeks after surgery. Both complications were due to technical errors. The surgical revisions were successful. All dogs almost normally beared weight on the operated leg one day after surgery. The advantages of the HELICA-endoprostheses in comparison to alternative prostheses are relatively easy surgical technique as well as the short operation time. The results of the first implanted prostheses proved to be very good. A final conclusion can only be based on the results of a long-term study.