The main concern of patients with longer life expectancies and of patients who are younger and more active is the longevity
of their total hip arthroplasty. We retrospectively reviewed 83 cementless total hip arthroplasties in 73 patients implanted
with metal-on-metal articulation. All patients were younger than 50 years old (average age, 41 years) at the time of the index
procedure, and 80% of the patients had an activity level graded 4 or 5 when measured with the system of Devane et al. A 28-mm
Metasul articulation was used with three different cementless titanium acetabular components. At the most recent followup
(average, 7.3 years), the average Merle d’Aubigné-Postel score improved from a preoperative 11.1 points to 17.4 points. We
observed no radiographic evidence of component loosening. Ten acetabular components had lucency limited to one zone. The 10-year
survivorship with the end point of revision (ie, exchange of at least one prosthetic or bearing component) was 100% (95% confidence
interval, 90%–100%). Metasul bearings with cementless acetabular components remain promising in this high-risk younger patient
population. However, additional followup strategies are recommended to determine any possible long-term deleterious effects
associated with the dissemination of metallic ions.
Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
One author (CD) certifies that he has received payments or benefits from a commercial entity (Zimmer-GmbH, Winterthur, Switzerland)
related to this work.
Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved or waived approval for the human protocol for this investigation
and that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research.