Comparison of Polyethylene Wear against Alumina and Zirconia Heads in Cemented Total Hip Arthroplasty

Abstract

We compared the polyethylene wear of 22.225-mm alumina heads with zirconia heads in cemented total hip arthroplasty during a mean follow-up period of 5.4 years. Using a computer-aided technique, we measured polyethylene wear radiologically in 46 hips with alumina heads and 58 hips with zirconia heads. The preoperative diagnosis in all cases was osteoarthritis. The mean linear wear rate of polyethylene sockets against zirconia heads were 0.133 mm/y, significantly greater (P < .01) than the wear rates against alumina heads (0.078 mm/y). Age at operation, patient body weight as well as height, thickness of polyethylene, and socket abduction angle did not influence the wear rates. We speculate that the excessive polyethylene wear was caused by phase transformation of zirconia, leading to an increase of surface roughness.