Short Stem

In view of the evolution of THA (Total Hip Arthroplasty), classic short stems without femoral bone marrow cavity excavation, such as Smith–Petersen’s vitalium cup (1938), Phillip Wiles’ stainless steel metal on metal THA (1938) and Judet’s acrylic femoral head, can be considered to be the origin of the modern short stems. The McMinn surface-replacing metal-on-metal THA (1996) was reintroduced for the purpose of bone preservation and avoidance of dislocation, but problems such as adverse reactions to metal debris (ARMD) and pseudotumors [1] have become impossible to be ignored, and its application has been gradually reduced. The first step in understanding short stems is to familiarize oneself with their taxonomy [2].