An article published in the July 2008 issue in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, by Bitsch et al, outlined improved wear characteristics with crossed-linked polyethelene liners for total hip arthroplasty. At a minimum of five years, patients who had received a crossed-linked polyethelene liner had a 73% reduction in wear when compared to those patients who had a standard minimally crossed-linked polyethelene liner, which was commonly used prior to 2001. This improved wear finding in the crossed-linked polyethelene liners is reason for optimism. Wear of the bearing surfaces, is one of the leading causes of long-term failure of joint replacement surgery, in particular total hip replacement. If we can decrease wear through the use of crossed-linked polyethelene liners and or alternative bearings, the longevity of hip and knee replacements hopefully will improve. Further data is required before we can state that the longevity of joint replacements is improving significantly.
