The Bristol Hip Arthroplasty Course strives to improve current practice and promote clinical excellence as the faculty present their views on outcomes, new procedures, materials, bearing surfaces, design, primary and revision hip replacement and complications and issues valid to a hip practice. It is CME approved.
REPORT: Bristol Hip Arthroplasty Course 2017
The Bristol Hip Arthroplasty Course (BHAC) is an established annual international hip meeting which was initiated as ‘Debates about Total Hip Replacement’ in the late 1980s. Evert Smith (European Hip Society (EHS) Nat Rep for the UK) assumed responsibility for the course in 2003 and it has since grown in stature and reputation. It is now co-convened by Evert Smith, Anthony Ward, Richie Gill, Richard Baker and Mez Acharya.
The BHAC held on the 2nd and 3rd of November 2017 was a great success. The objectives of this popular course are to improve current practice and promote clinical excellence. The BHAC is well known for its end of session debates and delegates are encouraged to carry the discussion forward during the informal aspects of the course.
This year, a strong, distinguished EHS faculty was present with UK members including Evert Smith, Anthony Ward, Richard Baker, Mez Acharya, Tim Waters and Simon West.
Some other European faculty members were (from left to right) Maziar Mohaddes, Theofilos Karachalios, Gösta Ullmark, Evert Smith, Tim Waters, Jean-Alain Epinette, Simon West, Johan Kärrholm, Mazhar Tokgözoglu and Ian Stockley.
Evert opened the proceedings and the first EHS speaker to address the conference was Tim who updated the forum on treatment of femoral AVN in session one, which was dedicated to The Young Adult and Arthroscopy of the Hip. Gösta provided his view on the use of Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Ian talked about infection and tantalum, and Maziar discussed differences in RSA migration pattern of TM and cemented cups in impaction grafting in the session on Biomechanics and Research. Jean-Alain informed the audience about where we are now in the young THA, in the first of two sessions dedicated to primary THA, while Theo and Mazhar approached the femur and the acetabulum, respectively, for CDH.
In the second Primary THA session, Simon first talked about the complex primary and Maziar enlightened us as to the role of dual mobility cups and the risk for revision due to dislocation according to registry data. Tim went on to discuss management of femoral neck fracture and Mazhar told us how to avoid leg length discrepancy. Session five was dedicated to Revision THA and this was a session where all presentations were given by EHS members. Here, Maziar walked us through the risk of revision using TM cups in primary and revision surgery according to a collaborative international register study. Simon presented on trabecular acetabular cup fixation, Gösta enlighted us as to results of impaction bone grafting with the Lubinus SP II and Richard finished the session with a talk on long stemmed femoral components for severe bone stock loss. Session six was our popular Radiographic Forum, where Mez, Richard and Tony discussed some interesting cases with the audience.
Our first session of day two was entitled Acetabular and Pelvic Surgery and this was another session where EHS members held the podium. Tony and Mez discussed the new approach to THA following Bristol Hip Arthroplasty Course – 2 to 3 November 2017 acetabular fractures and revision of the THA with periprosthetic fractures. During the session on Critical Orthopaedic Issues, Simon informed the forum whether he considered that the painful THA could be resolved and Johan looked at the Nordic Hip Arthroplasty Register to view the risk of revision due to dislocation according to femoral head size. In the final session on Infection of the Hip, Theo discussed functional outcomes of cemented or cementless revision THA and Ian presented on changing algorithms in infection management. The closing presentation was given by Johan who again looked to registry data on infection in the Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register.
The BHAC closed on a high note with some fantastic feedback and its superb reputation amongst the orthopaedic hip fraternity intact – we go from strength to strength year on year.