Abstract
Our objective was to compare 2 friction couples: ceramic/ceramic and metal/polyethylene in total hip prosthesis. Between 2005-2007, 64 patients with primary osteoarthritis of the hip were enrolled in a prospective study: 32 cases underwent arthroplasty with uncemented total hip prosthesis with a friction couple ceramic/ceramic (Group1), while the other 32 cases underwent arthroplasty with uncemented total hip prostheses with a friction couple of metal on Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) (Group 2). Group 1 was considered the test group and group 2 was designed so that the two groups to be similar in terms of gender and age distribution. We followed: the emergence of osteolysis areas, component loosening to a degree requiring revision, clinical outcome quantified by Harris score. The radiological aspect was determined by several radiological check-ups: immediately after operation, at 6 weeks, at 3 months postoperatively and then annually. Mean follow-up time was 5.2 years (ranging from 3 years and 2 months to 7 years and 8 months). The presence of osteolysis areas was observed in a single case in the ceramic/ceramic group (3.12%) and in 4 cases in the metal/polyethylene group (12.5%), the difference not being statistically significant (p > 0.05). In Group 1 we performed one revision which required replacement of both components (3.12%), while in Group 2 there were 2 such kind of interventions (6.24%) - the difference being not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Harris Score evolved in Group 1 from 52.34 ±6.36 preoperatively to 94.32 ±8.82 at the end of the follow-up period (p < 0.01), and in Group 2 from 51.52 ±7.21 to 92.44 ±9.24, respectively (p < 0.01). Keywords: ceramic, friction couple, hip prosthesis