Abstract
Background: Metal on metal articulation is known to reduce wear and subsequent development of osteolysis. However, long-term results of THA using metal on metal articulation is not well validated, especially in young patients.
Methods: Ninety-three THA were performed in 78 patients who were younger than 50 years of age at index surgery. The mean age of the patients was 37 years old. One patient (1 hip) had had a resection arthroplasty due to deep infection, 1 patient (1 hip) had performed stem revision because of periprosthetic fracture and 2 patients died before ten years follow-up and were excluded. Five patients (5 hips) were lost to follow-up before 10 years. Sixty-nine patients (84 hips) were available for complete clinical and radiographic analysis after minimum 10 years follow-up(range, 10 – 14 years).
Results: The mean preoperative Harris hip score of 49 points improved to 92 points at the time of last follow-up. Twenty hips(21.5%) showed variable degrees of osteolysis. Three patients underwent revision surgery because of focal pelvic osteolysis in one, aseptic loosening with extensive pelvic osteolysis of acetabular component in two. Three subsidence of femoral stem in other patients were identified.
Conclusions: At a minimum 10 years after THA using metal-on-metal articulation, it showed good results with regard to aseptic loosening in this group of young patients. However, relatively high rate of osteolysis in this articulation remains problematic and needs further investigation.
Correspondence should be addressed to: EFORT Central Office, Technoparkstrasse 1, CH – 8005 Zürich, Switzerland. Tel: +41 44 448 44 00; Email: office@efort.org
Author: Sang-Hyup Yoon, Korea, Republic of
E-mail: yoondigi@hotmail.com
