Hip Replacements Need Close Monitoring Years Later

The total wear and the annual wear at 11 years were significantly lower in the highly cross-linked polyethylene group, which translated in the prevalence of osteolysis," Beksac said in his presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons.In this follow-up, 26 patients, with a total of 30 total hip arthroplasties, who had highly cross-linked polyethylene were matched to patients who had polyethylene liners with respect to age (plus or minus 5 years), body mass index (plus or minus 5), and follow-up (plus or minus 2 years). eriprosthetic osteolysis appeared in three patients (10%) in the highly cross-linked polyethylene group, and 29 patients (97%) in the polyethylene liner group (P<0.001). There were no liner fractures in the polyethylene liner group, but two of the 29 patients with osteolysis in the polyethylene liner group presented with pathologic periprosthetic fractures after experiencing a low-energy trauma. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AAOS/50664?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-03-26eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2@gmail.com&mu_id=5883165