Polymer cable/grip-plate system with locking screws for stable fixation to promote healing of trochanteric osteotomies or fractures in revision total hip arthroplasty.

Multiple methods have been proposed to establish stable fixation to promote healing of trochanteric osteotomies or fractures in revision total hip arthroplasty (revTHA), from wiring techniques through cable-plate systems with or without supplemental locking screws. The purpose of this study is to report the clinical results of a single cable-plate system with locked screw fixation in revTHA. Between 2009 and 2012, 27 grip-plates (Supercable® System, Kinamed Inc., Camarillo, CA) were used in 26 patients in 27 revTHA procedures. Utilization was 12 1-hole (50 mm) grip-plates, 10 2-hole (135 mm) grip-plates, four 4-hole (190 mm) grip-plates, and one 6-hole (245 mm) grip-plate. There were 14 women and 12 men. Age averaged 63.2 years and BMI averaged 29.4 kg/m2. At average 2.5 year follow-up, grip-plate fixation was considered successful in 22 hips (81%) with five failures. Three failures consisted of 50 mm/short grip-plates used in one trochanteric slide, and two intraoperative trochanteric fractures during revTHA. The two additional failures were related to pre-revision trochanteric avulsion from bony necrosis of the proximal femur. An additional three grip-plates were removed electively for soft-tissue irritation and pain but with successful fixation and bony healing. Thus 70% of hips were free of reoperation related to the grip-plate. All other hips had successful fixation and the grip-plate was not symptomatic. In this study, the cable-grip system and isoelastic Supercables provided reliable fixation for adequate healing of difficult ETO and trochanteric fractures with an 81% rate of mechanical success with radiographic and clinical healing observed.