Acetabular wear in Total Hip Arthroplasty eMedicine Orthopedics

Description: Bezwada & Nazarian 2004
Since the introduction of the low-friction total hip arthroplasty (THA) by Sir John Charnley, wear has been a primary issue in hip arthroplasty. Charnley's original choice for bearing surfaces was a stainless steel head on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This choice was complicated by a wear rate of 7-10 mm within a 3-year period. This led him to search for other bearing materials, namely high molecular weight polyethylene. Although wear remains a problematic issue in THA, its consequences, namely osteolysis and prosthetic loosening, loom as larger issues.
Synonyms and related keywords: low-friction total hip arthroplasty, THA, acetabular wear debris, fatigue, interfacial wear, backside wear, linear penetration, hip reconstruction, hip prosthesis, hip implant, hip replacement, osteolysis, prosthetic loosening