Why choose a custom-made hip prothesis ?

What Is a custom-made hip prosthesis?

The use of 3D scanning before any hip prosthesis implantation has revealed the vast variability in hip geometry from one patient to another. Joint dimensions and orientations can differ significantly. The morphology of the femoral canal—meaning the inside of the femur bone, where the femoral stem is implanted—also varies greatly in size, shape, and torsion. The shape of the bone interior influences how well the prosthesis stabilizes within the femur.

This observation led to the development of the custom-made prosthesis concept. A custom prosthesis is designed in 3D based on CT scan data. All prosthesis parameters can be modeled according to each patient’s measurements. This customization ensures the most precise positioning of the implant in the bone and optimizes the adjustment of the hip’s dimensions for each patient.

Initially reserved for patients with dysmorphic hips —those with significant abnormalities often due to childhood or hereditary conditions—the excellent results obtained with these implants have led to their use for all patients suffering from joint wear (arthritis or necrosis).

In our team, in Paris and Lyon , we recommend using these implants regardless of the patient’s age, particularly for young, active, and athletic patients. However, older or sedentary patients also benefit from these implants.

 Advantages of a custom-made hip prosthesis

Using a custom-made hip prosthesis offers numerous benefits to patients:

• Surgical safety. Since the prosthesis is designed to fit the patient’s bone morphology perfectly, there is an excellent match between the prosthesis shape and the receiving bone. This reduces the risk of cracks or fractures during implantation
• Surgical precision. Because the implant shape is adapted to the bone structure, placement precision is improved, and the risk of misalignment is significantly reduced
• Optimized hip anatomy management. Since the implant is designed in 3D based on a highly precise CT scan, all geometric parameters of the joint are controlled. This ensures accurate restoration of limb length, femoral angle orientation, and muscle tension around the hip
• Improved joint kinetics. A custom-made implant promotes smooth joint function, preventing abnormal conflicts between prosthetic components (“impingement”) and reducing the risk of instability (dislocation). Additionally, it is likely that the risk of premature wear of a hip prosthesis is lower with this type of implant

Any patient suffering from hip wear, regardless of their medical history, can benefit from the design and implantation of a custom prosthesis.

The process of custom prosthesis implantation in Paris

A custom hip prosthesis project involves several steps. After the surgeon determines the need for hip replacement surgery, based on a physical examination and standard X-ray analysis, a 3D CT scan is performed to gather the necessary data for designing the implant. This CT scan is optimized to minimize patient radiation exposure.

Once the data is processed, the surgeon collaborates with a team of engineers and lab technicians to define the geometric reconstruction parameters and objectives. An initial custom prosthesis design is proposed, allowing the surgeon to fine-tune and optimize all prosthesis parameters through discussions with the design team. This phase is crucial, and the surgeon’s experience with this type of implant ensures a prosthesis that is as precisely tailored as possible.

After approval, the prosthesis manufacturing process begins, taking approximately 4 to 8 weeks. The surgeon will then receive a unique, customized prosthesis that perfectly matches the patient’s bone morphology.

Custom hip prosthesis surgery requires specialized expertise, as the surgical technique is different from standard prosthesis implantation. The surgeon’s experience in placing this type of implant is key to achieving the best results. Bone preparation differs from that required for a standard prosthesis and demands exceptional precision and care.

Custom vs Standard Hip Prosthesis

The advantages of a custom-made hip prosthesis are numerous:

• Any patient, regardless of age, sports or professional ambitions, or medical history, can benefit from this technology
• A custom prosthesis optimizes surgical safety by minimizing mechanical complications and enhances joint function post-surgery by ensuring precise control of all geometric parameters
• Since hip parameters and dimensions vary greatly between individuals, this technology can accommodate all cases , anticipating and reducing the risk of mismatch between the prosthesis and the patient

Standard hip prostheses do not always allow for optimal adjustments to all these parameters, often requiring compromises. In some cases, a standard implant is ill-suited to a patient’s hip morphology, leading to functional issues such as faulty joint kinematics, instability, or muscle imbalances.

Whereas standard hip prostheses require more or less acceptable compromises, a custom-made hip prosthesis is fully personalized and precisely adapted to each patient’s dimensions.