Alternative bearings – metal-on-metal and ceramic-on-ceramic bearings have been introduced in the last decade with the aim to diminish wear and, subsequently, aseptic loosening and osteolysis. These bearings were aimed for younger, more active patients. Clinical results which would compare the performance of various alternative and traditional bearings are scarce. Between January 2000 and December 2002, we performed 487 total hip replacements in 474 patients using three types of bearings: metal-on-metal (MOM), metal-on-polyethylene (MOP), and ceramic-on-ceramic (COC). All patients received the same type of acetabular cup (Bicon-Plus, Plus Orthopedics) and same type of femoral component (SL-Plus, Plus Orthopedics). We used the hospital computer database for the evaluation of patient data and data on revision operations.Introduction
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