New Hip Implants Work No Better than Old Style (MedPage Today)
Newer metal-on-metal or ceramic-on-ceramic hip implants work no better than traditional polyethylene-containing implants, researchers concluded from a systematic review.
Although there are limited comparative effectiveness data, there was no evidence that the newer implant types improved functioning and quality of life or reduced the need for revisions, according to Art Sedrakyan, MD, PhD, of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, and colleagues.
"A large and high-quality randomized controlled trial of bearing surfaces in total hip replacement needs to be conducted before any claims of benefit are made," they wrote online in BMJ.
Action Points
A study has found that newer metal-on-metal or ceramic-on-ceramic hip implants work no better than traditional polyethylene-containing implants.
Point out that in the three largest registries, metal-on-metal implants were associated with higher rates of revisions than metal-on-polyethylene implants.
Metal femoral heads with polyethylene cups are traditionally used in hip replacements and are associated with a low risk of revision, which still affects many pati...
