Abstract
With the introduction of highly crosslinked polyethylene (HXLPE) in total hip arthroplasty (THA), orthopaedic surgeons have moved towards using larger femoral heads at the cost of thinner liners to decrease the risk of instability. Several short and mid-term studies have shown minimal liner wear with the use HXLPE liners, but the safety of using thinner HXPLE liners to maximize femoral head size remains uncertain and concerns that this may lead to premature failure exist. Our objective was to analyze the outcomes for primary THA done with HXLPE liners in patients who have a 36-mm head or larger and a cup of 52-mm or smaller, with a minimum of 10-year follow-up. Additionally, linear and volumetric wear rates of the HXLPE were evaluated in those with a minimum of seven-year follow-up. We hypothesized that there would be minimal wear and good clinical outcome.
Between 2000 and 2010, we retrospectively identified 55 patients that underwent a primary THA performed in a high-volume single tertiary referral center using HXLPE liners with 36-mm or larger heads in cups with an outer diameter of or 52-mm or smaller. Patient characteristics, implant details including liner thickness, death, complications, and all cause revisions were recorded. Patients that had a minimum radiographic follow-up of seven years were assessed radiographically for linear and volumetric wear. Wear was calculated using ROMAN, a validated open-source software by two independent researchers on anteroposterior X-rays of the pelvis.
A total of 55 patients were identified and included, with a mean age of 74.8 (range 38.67 - 95.9) years and a mean BMI of 28.98 (range 18.87 - 63-68). Fifty-one (94.4%) of patients were female. Twenty-six (47.7%) patients died during the follow-up period. Three patients were revised, none for liner wear, fracture or dissociation. Twenty-two patients had a radiographic follow-up of minimum seven years (mean 9.9 years, min-max 7.5 –13.7) and were included in the long-term radiographic analysis. Liner thickness was 5.5 mm at 45 degrees in all cases but one, who had a liner thickness of 4.7mm, and all patients had a cobalt-chrome head. Cup sizes were 52mm (n=15, 68%) and 50mm (n=7, 32%). Mean linear liner wear was 0.0470 mm/year (range 0 - 0.2628 mm) and mean volumetric wear was 127.69 mm3/year (range 0 - 721.23 mm3/year).
Using HXLPE liners with 36-mm heads or bigger in 52-mm cups or smaller is safe, with low rates of linear and volumetric wear in the mid to long-term follow-up. Patients did not require revision surgery for liner complications, including liner fracture, dissociation, or wear. Our results suggest that the advantages of using larger heads should outweigh the potential risks of using thin HXLPE liners.
