17 Year Review of Hydroxyapatite Ceramic Coated Hip Implants – A Clinical and Histological Evaluation

Cemented implants used in hip arthroplasty often loosen after ten or more years of use. This is partly mechanical but also associated with debris disease where particulate plastic is taken up by macrophages creating an aggressive granulation tissue which destroys the bone. The particulate plastic can arise from the cement and the polythene acetabular material. Cementing techniques have been improved and the Swedish Hip Register [1] demonstrates that the revision rates have been reduced with improved cementing techniques.