What bearing should we choose?

Abstract

New bearings for total hip arthroplasty (THA) have been introduced with the aim of reducing the number of biologically active wear particles. Crosslinked polyethylene, metal-on-metal, and ceramic-on-ceramic bearings have all demonstrated lower in vivo wear rates than conventional metal-on-plastic couples. The degree of wear reduction is promising, but it may not directly translate into greater longevity of a THA for all patients. Each new material needs to be evaluated clinically. The surgeon has to decide for each individual patient which bearing surface option is the most favourable. © 2005 Springer Medizin Verlag Heidelberg.