Abstract
Today’s major challenge for total hip arthroplasty is to minimise wear and osteolysis in our younger and more active patients. Alumina ceramic bearings have known superior wear resistance and lubrication and do not carry a risk of ion release. Utilising new improved alumina ceramic materials and implant design 514 hips were implanted in a multicentre US IDE prospective and randomised study. The study compared alumina-on-alumina ceramic bearings to a cobalt chrome-on-polyethylene bearing.
All patients received the same press-fit hydroxylapatite coated femoral stem while two-thirds (349 hips) received alumina ceramic bearings and one-third (165 hips) received the cobalt chrome on polyethylene bearing. All patients suffered from non-inflammatory arthritis and were young and active with an average age of 53 years.
At a follow-up of 24–60 months (mean 39.8 months) there was no significant difference in clinical performance between the patient cohorts.
The abstracts were prepared by Nico Verdoschot. Correspondence should be addressed to him at Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Universitair Medisch Centrum, Orthopaedie / CSS1, Huispost 800, Postbus 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, Th. Craanenlaan 7, 6525 GH Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
