Has it Lived Up to Its Expectations?

J. Wesley Mesko, MD,* James A. D'Antonio, MD,y William N. Capello, MD,z Benjamin E. Bierbaum, MD,§ and Marybeth Naughton, BS,•

*Private Practice, Lansing, Michigan;y Private Practice, Sewickley Valley Hospital, Sewickley, Pennsylvania; z Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; § Department of Orthopedic Surgery, New England Baptist and Beth Israel Deconease Hospitals, Boston, Massachusetts; and • Stryker Orthopaedic, Mahwah, New Jersey.

The Journal of Arthroplasty Vol. 26 No. 2 2011

Abstract: This study reports revision and complication rates of a single cementless double-wedged tapered stem with an alumina-alumina bearing over 10 years since the beginning of premarket clinical trials. Of 930 hips (848 patients) implanted by 9 surgeons, there were 19 revisions at mean follow-up of 5.9 years compared to 10 revisions in the 123 hips implanted with the polyethylene control group at mean 7.8 years. The ongoing safety of alumina-alumina bearings is demonstrated through excellent (96.8%) survivorship at 10 years. Twenty-one patients reported 23 incidences of noise described as clicking, squeaking, popping, or creaking. Eight patients with 9 hips described the noise as squeaking, most occurring rarely and only 1 occurring frequently in a patient subsequently revised for a reason aside from the squeaking.