Results from an observational study evaluating the POLARSTEM Cementless Hip Stem in patients with osteoarthritis were posted on 2026-01-21. The study, which enrolled 218 participants, reported an overall survivorship of 98.7% for the implant at the longest follow-up period.
Background
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease affecting millions worldwide, characterized by the breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone. When conservative treatments fail, total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a common and effective surgical intervention to alleviate pain and improve function. Cementless hip stems are a type of implant used in THA, designed to integrate directly with the bone without the use of bone cement, aiming for long-term stability and reduced risk of loosening.
Trial design
This completed multicenter observational study enrolled 218 participants diagnosed with Osteoarthritis. The study's objective was to validate the POLARSTEM Cementless Hip Stem as a state-of-the-art implant in terms of radiographic and clinical performance, as well as long-term survivorship. The trial did not specify a phase, consistent with its observational design focusing on post-market surveillance rather than drug development phases.
Key results
The study collected key measurements on implant survivorship and patient-reported outcomes:
- Kaplan-Meier Estimate: Overall Survivorship of POLARSTEM (Total Hip Arthroplasty):
- Initial reported survivorship was 100 percentage of hips.
- Survivorship was subsequently reported as 99.6 percentage of hips, 99.1 percentage of hips, and then consistently 98.7 percentage of hips at the longest follow-up intervals.
- Harris Hip Score (HHS) (Total Hip Arthroplasty):
- The initial mean HHS was 48.60 (Standard Deviation 11.55) score on a scale.
- Follow-up measurements showed improved mean HHS values, including 83.10 (Standard Deviation 13.24), 89.20 (Standard Deviation 12.71), 89.10 (Standard Deviation 13.06), 88.00 (Standard Deviation 15.24), and 85.30 (Standard Deviation 14.92) score on a scale.
What this means
The results indicate that the POLARSTEM Cementless Hip Stem demonstrates high overall survivorship, with 98.7% of hips remaining functional at the longest reported follow-up. This suggests good long-term stability and durability for the implant in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis. Furthermore, the significant improvement observed in the Harris Hip Score, moving from an initial mean of 48.60 to follow-up means in the high 80s, suggests that patients experienced substantial improvements in pain relief, function, and absence of deformity following the procedure with this implant. These findings support the POLARSTEM as a viable option for individuals with osteoarthritis requiring hip replacement surgery.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for study NCT02648152, titled "POLARSTEM Cementless Hip Stem", were posted on 2026-01-21 on clinicaltrials.gov.