To analyze the results of a 5-12 year (mean, 7 years, 5 months) follow-up of femoral revision THA using the Wagner® stem.

Of 79 revision THA patients enrolled in the study between March 1991 and January 2000, there were 64 cases of aseptic loosening (69 hips, 44 males and 20 females) during a minimum 5-year follow-up. In addition, postoperative complications and clinical and radiographic results were evaluated.

The Harris hip score improved from 48.6 to 91.2 points, postoperatively. There were 3 revisions due to failed stem fixation and aseptic loosening. The Kaplan-Meier survivorship analysis, with failure defined as a removal of the Wagner® stem, revealed a 97.1% survival at a 12-year follow-up. Besides the revisions, there were 66 hips that were hip-related symptom-free. However, there was claudication in 1 case. Radiographic findings included subsidence of the implant (5 cases, 7.5%, all less than 10 mm), calcar femorale atrophy (4 cases, 6.0%), stress shielding (4 cases, 6.0%), and heterotopic ossification (5 cases, 7.5%). Postoperative peroneal nerve palsy (2 cases) resolved completely within the following 6 months.

We obtained a stable fixation and satisfactory results in the cases we studied using the Wagner® revision stem.