Intraoperative custom press-fit and standard press-fit femoral components in total hip arthroplasty. A comparison of surgery, charges, and early complications.
A consecutive group of 60 patients who had intraoperative custom press-fit total hip arthroplasties (67 hips; Identifit, Thackray, London, United Kingdom) was compared with a similar group of 60 patients who had standard press-fit arthroplasties (66 hips; McCutchen, Wright Medical Technologies, Arlington, Tennessee) to determine if there were differences in operative time and charges, as well as early complications and early radiographic results. The unilateral intraoperative custom group had an average anesthesia time of 3 hours, 39 minutes, an operating time of 2 hours and 26 minutes, and a blood loss of 725 mL. The averages for the standard group included an anesthesia time of 2 hours, 19 minutes, a surgical time of 1 hour, 25 minutes, and a blood loss of 480 mL. By 6 months after surgery, 49 (73%) in the custom group had subsidence of 2 mm or more, compared with 10 hips (15%) in the standard group. The custom group had 17 early postoperative complications versus 3 in the standard group. The charge for the hospital stay averaged $19,950 for the custom group and $14,322 for the standard group. At the present time, the high incidence of complications and the increased charges make the intraoperative custom hip replacement an unlikely first choice of recommendation.