Abstract
Total hip replacement using components from different manufactures is common and has been known as cross-breed arthroplasty. The implant industry clearly advises against it for primary arthroplasty, even though this has been the accepted practice in revision hip surgery. The response of the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is to agree with the manufacturers. Thus this advice has been implemented in National Institute of Clinical Excellence guidelines without any supportive clinical data.
A consecutive series of 206 crossbreed total hip arthroplasties were performed in 192 patients by a single surgeon between 1990 and 1993. These were observed for an average 11.5 years (range, 10–13years). There were 126 women and 80 men with an average age of 69 (range, 41–89) at the time of surgery. There were 9 failures defined as reoperation. Of these, 5 were for aseptic loosening of cup, 2 for deep infection, 1 for recurrent dislocation and 1 for revision of stem for Periprosthetic fracture following a fall. There was no aseptic loosening of stem. With survivorship to date of 94% these data suggest that it is safe to continue using at least one of the common combinations in primary hip arthroplasty.
Editoral Secretary Mr Peter Howard. Correspondence should be addressed to BHS at the Royal College of Surgeons, 35 - 43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PN.
