OPTIMAL BEARING SURFACES FOR TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT IN THE YOUNG PATIENT: A META-ANALYSIS

The most appropriate bearings in young patients remain highly debated. The aim of this metaanalysis was to summaries the best available evidence on relative success of the three most popular bearings [metal-on-poly (MOP), metal-on-metal (MOM) and ceramic-on-ceramic (COC)] used in total hip replacement (THR) in young active patients. All the relevant studies published in the English language were retrieved. Studies with THR in patients with mean age less than 55 years of age were selected. The survivorship analysis for the three important bearings at 10 years was evaluated. Ten-year survival rates suggest that MOM bearings performed significantly better than MOP (p=0.01) and COC (p=0.001). MOP revealed higher survival rates than COC bearings (p=0.05). Our findings support the use of MOM bearings in the management of the young arthritic hip. These findings, largely based upon observational studies should be taken in context to the limitations of such non-randomized study designs.