The topic of the pressure disk prosthesis has become a very critical one. Especially the early occurrence of loosening has brought the pressure disk prosthesis into a niche existence in terms of numbers. The future will show whether the pressure disc prosthesis will disappear from the market or whether innovations will help it to achieve a renaissance.
Synonyms
- Artificial hip joint
- Total hip joint endoprosthesis (HTEP or HTE)
- Hip joint prosthesis
- Total Hip Endoprosthesis
- HEP, TEP, HTEP
- Hip Endoprosthesis
Definition
The word “artificial hip joint” is equivalent to the term “total hip joint endoprosthesis”. In the course of a hip prosthesis implantation operation, the human hip joint is replaced by an artificial one, which in principle consists of the same parts. This means that the acetabulum, the femoral neck and the femoral head are replaced during such an operation. In the case of the pressure disc prosthesis, the “prosthesis stem” is anchored in a special form.
An alternative prosthesis model is the pressure disc prosthesis
Although this form of prosthesis anchorage was already developed in Switzerland some 20 years ago, it has only been on the market for several years. Initially, a pilot study on enlightened patients had to provide test results. Compared to other (conventional) prosthesis models, this form of prosthesis anchorage offers a number of advantages, but also known disadvantages, which will be discussed belowThe replacement operations listed under 3. usually become necessary after about 10 to 15 years.
If an implantation takes place at an advanced age, the lifespan of such a prosthesis is not really relevant. However, if a younger patient needs a prosthesis, the probability of a necessary replacement operation is significantly increased. For a thirty-year-old patient, this can mean a two or even three change operations.
However, since the anchoring possibilities decrease with every exchange operation, the pressure disc prosthesis can initially serve as an alternative. If such a prosthesis is initially implanted, the bone substance is retained as an anchoring option for conventional hip prosthesis models, thus increasing the quality of the subsequent replacement operations.
- In contrast to the cemented or uncemented shaft-fixed prosthesis models, a significantly smaller portion of the healthy bone must be removed when implanting a pressure disc prosthesis, since only the femoral head itself needs to be removed.
This procedure is comparable to the new prosthesis development of the short shaft prosthesis.
- While the implantation of a hip prosthesis places a considerable load on the thigh and the bone cannot be constantly built up and reduced in the areas splinted by the prosthesis as usual, a pressure plate prosthesis places a load on the bone throughout its entire course. This means that the elasticity of the bone is much less restricted, and usually remains unaffected.
- Prosthesis loosening after inflammation or due to other factors is the most common reason for a prosthesis replacement operation. Since the loosening of the hip prosthesis does not occur in its entirety, the prostheses are usually still very firmly anchored in the bone, so that such a replacement operation places very high demands on the surgeon.
In many cases, non-destructive removal of the old prosthesis is not possible due to the firm anchorage. Usually a so-called window is then sawn into the tubular bone. The consequence is a relatively long operation time, combined with a significantly increased risk of complications. A pressure disc replacement operation can be carried out with relatively little effort when the pressure disc is loosened, either by means of a new pressure disc or a so-called normal hip prosthesis.
