Primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) has been a very successful surgical intervention for the management of end-stage arthritis in geriatric patients (> age 65). The mid- to long-term results have been less satisfactory however, in younger patients primarily due to the wear of the acetabular liner and loosening of the femoral component. The primary study purpose was to compare pain, function and stiffness over the first five years in a population less than 60 years of age who received either an alumina liner/alumina femoral head (alumina group) or a crossfire UHMWPE liner/alumina head (Poly group) following primary THA. Secondarily, we compared re-operation rates over five years between these two groups. This was a randomized, controlled clinical trial of subjects with non-inflammatory OA who were booked for primary THA and consented to participate in the study. Subjects were evaluated pre-operatively and again at one and five years post-operatively by an evaluator who was blinded to group allocation. At each assessment, subjects completed the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC); complications and re-operations were also recorded. All analyses were performed on an intention to treat basis.Purpose
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