THA for patient's 50 years and younger is a procedure at high risk for complications and failure because of the high level of activity of this population. Highly cross linked polyethylene (HXLPE) has greatly improved the durability of the implant because of the improved wear characteristics. Few studies have followed this population into the second decade and therefore the purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the clinical outcome for the patients 5o years of age and younger at a minimum of 15 years. The second purpose was to evaluate the radiographic findings secondary to wear or mechanical failure of the implant. Between October 1999 and December 2005, 105 THAs were performed in 95 patients (53 female, 42 male) age 50 years and younger (mean 42 years; range 20–50). Ten patients (10 hips) were lost to follow-up or deceased. The remaining 95 hips and 85 patients were followed for a minimum of 15 years (mean of 16.8, range 15–20.5) for analysis. HXLPE (Longevity, Zimmer Biomet) was the acetabular bearing for all hips. Radiographs were evaluated for radiolucent lines and osteolysis.Introduction
Methods
Patients under the age of 50 who undergo a total hip arthroplasty (THA) are at high risk for wear-related complications due to their higher activity level. Previous studies have shown that highly crosslinked polyethylene (HXLPE) is more durable with no evidence of loosening compared to conventional polyethylene due to its improved wear characteristics. Unfortunately, there are few studies with long term follow-up of HXLPE in this patient population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate two questions related to this population of patients undergoing THA. First, what were the clinical outcomes for HXLPE in patients 50 years or younger at an average follow-up of 15 years? Second, was osteolysis observed in any of these hips? Between November 1999 and April 2005, 105 THAs were performed for 90 patients 50 years of age or younger (mean, 42 years; range, 20–50 years). The mean body mass index (BMI) was 30 kg/m2 (range, 17–51 kg/m2). The mean follow-up was 15.25 years (range, 12–19 years). Eight patients (two bilateral) were lost to follow-up, which left 82 patients with 95 hips for analysis. HXLPE was the acetabular bearing for all hips. Harris Hip Scores were collected from all patients. Radiographs were obtained on all patients to evaluate for wear and osteolysis.Introduction
Methods
