BIG FEMORAL HEAD (BFH®) TECHNOLOGY
CONSERVE® Total Hip System with BFH® Technology
Postoperative
hip dislocation is a common problem after total hip replacement surgery
(arthroplasty). It is also a fairly common complication related to polyethylene
(plastic) wear associated with traditional metal-on-polyethylene hip implants.
As the plastic piece of a traditional hip implant wears away over time due
to friction, the odds of possibly experiencing a dislocation rise higher
for patients.
The recent development of the CONSERVE® Total Hip w/BFH® Technology was designed to address these hip dislocation problems. We believe that this metal-on-metal hip system has quite possibly solved the long-term wear problems that have previously been associated with total hip replacement by introducing 1) a larger diameter femoral component that more closely matches a patient's anatomy and 2) offering longer lasting, better wear characteristics of metal-on-metal vs. metal-on-plastic (poly).
Advantages
Why Big Heads?
Dislocation following primary and revision total hip arthroplasty continues
to be one of the primary factors of early implant failure. Early dislocation
still remains a significant problem despite improvements in surgical technique,
joint alignment, and implant design. Reported occurrence ranges from 2%
to 10% for primary replacement and 10% to 20% for revision arthroplasty.10-14
The introduction of the large diameter CONSERVE® Total Hip femoral heads
increases range of motion. This reduces the chance of dislocation.
DESIGN RATIONALE
The CONSERVE® Total Hip System with BFH® Technology is designed
to help eliminate dislocation. The femoral head of a normal, healthy adult
is quite large in size. However, traditionally, in a total hip procedure,
the large femoral head has been replaced with a head much smaller than the
original anatomy. | FIGURE 1 This smaller sized implant
traditionally made of metal and plastic can lead to problems
associated with hip dislocation.
In contrast, the CONSERVE® Total Hip with BFH® Technology has been designed
to mimic the natural movement of the hip by replacing the body's diseased
natural femoral head with a large diameter implant that is more comparable
in size and function to the patients' hip. This is in contrast to the smaller traditional femoral head implant.
| FIGURE 2
The introduction of the large diameter femoral head (Big Femoral Head)
increases range of motion and reduces the chance for impingement (when the femoral neck contacts with the acetabular cup)
subsequent dislocation. These factors, coupled with low wear, make the CONSERVE®
Total Hip with BFH® Technology a great choice for today's orthopaedic surgeon.
ANATOMIC SIZE FEMORAL HEADS
Because the human femoral head is large in nature, it therefore makes sense
to implant a large, anatomic replacement. This was not possible in the past,
due to traditional polyethylene (plastic) liners, which made smaller femoral
heads necessary. | FIGURE 3 However, with the introduction
of metal-on-metal implant components, we can now eliminate liners, allowing
surgeons the ability to utilize large femoral heads. | FIGURE 4
In fact, the BFH® System has heads ranging from 36-56mm in diameter.
In contrast, the largest head offered by other orthopaedic manufacturers
is currently only 38mm.
JUMP DISTANCE
The result of this increased femoral head diameter is an anatomically sized
femoral head with a significantly larger dislocation height. With BFH®
Technology, dislocation "jump height" reaches 24mm as compared
to 16mm for more traditional size femoral heads
RANGE OF MOTION
Wright's BFH® Technology enables patients to experience up to 169°
range of motion ... while competitive products only allow 148° - a significant
difference, particularly when it comes to returning you to your normal,
active life.