[Efficacies of percutaneous multiple needle puncturing for releasing hip adductor muscle during total hip arthroplasty].

Objective: To summarize our experiences of applying percutaneous multiple needle puncturing technique for releasing adductor muscle during total hip arthroplasty (THA) for ischemic necrosis of femoral head and provide rationales for clinical practice.

Methods: From January 2008 to December 2012, 36 adult patients with ischemic necrosis of femoral head (36 hips) and 36 adult patients with femoral neck fracture (36 hips) were recruited. The group of ischemic necrosis of femoral head was designated as experiment group in which there were 29 males and 7 females with an average age of 67.9 (60-78) years. According to the Ficat system, there were type III (n = 24) and type IV (n = 12) . The affected leg shortening of this group prior to surgery was over 2 cm. The group of femoral neck fracture was selected as control group in which there were 16 males and 20 females with an average age of 70.1 (60-82) years. According to the Garden system, there were type III (n = 16) and type IV (n = 20). All cases underwent THA with Press-fit prosthesis. After fixing prosthetic components, leg length discrepancy was corrected. And percutaneous multiple needle puncturing was applied for releasing adductor muscle in experiment group. The follow-up period was 2 years. The safety and efficiency were evaluated by HHS (Harris Hip Score) and the range of motion (ROM) of hip extorsion and abduction.

Results: There was no occurrence of such early complications as palsy of obturator nerve, hematoma in adductor muscle area or serious deep vein embolism.No serious complications of deep infection, femoral head dislocation, recurrent adductor muscle contracture, prosthesis loosening, subsidence, excursion or penetration occurred up until the final follow-up. The range of hip motion of extorsion and abduction: (1) in experimental group, the postoperative ROM (abduction:44.9 ± 0.8, extorsion:45.1 ± 0.9) was significantly larger than that of preoperative (abduction: 30.0 ± 4.6, extorsion:31.5 ± 4.6) ; (2) the postoperative ROM of experimental group had no significant changes until the final follow-up (abduction: 44.7 ± 0.9, extorsion:45.25 ± 0.81); (3) at the last time of follow-up, no significant inter-group difference existed in ROM (abduction:44.86 ± 0.68, extorsion:45.6 ± 0.8). HHS: (1) in experimental group, HHS increased significantly from 39.64 ± 3.93 preoperatively to 82.8 ± 3.6 at 3 months postoperatively; (2) in two groups, HHS of 2 years postoperation (experimental group: 88.6 ± 4.1, control group: 89.1 ± 4.0) was significantly larger than that of 3 months postoperation (experimental group: 82.8 ± 3.6, control group:83.1 ± 3.1); (3) at the time of 3 months and 2 years postoperation, no significant inter-group difference existed in HHS.

Conclusion: The technique percutaneous multiple needle puncturing for releasing adductor muscle during THA for ischemic necrosis of femoral head is both safe and efficacious. And it solves the problems of soft tissue balancing mini-invasiveness.