Advances in Bearing Surfaces of Total Hip Arthroplasty

Abstract

Since the advent of the mass-produced THA in the 1950s there has been much innovation in bearing surfaces. HXLPE has reduced the wear rates and resultant osteolysis originally seen in the Charnley UHMWPE acetabular cup. Advances in ceramic have shown good midterm results with regard to reduced wear but are associated with a higher financial cost than polyethylene liners. Failures and disasters have shaped our understanding of the science behind wear as well as the way in which new materials are produced. Although MoM initially showed promise as a bearing surface, it has fallen out of favor because of its serious associated complications.