A Ten-Year Radiostereometric Analysis of Polyethylene Wear Between Oxidized Zirconium and Cobalt Chrome Articulations in Total Hip Arthroplasty

Background: Oxidized zirconium (OxZi) femoral heads combine the decreased abrasive properties of ceramics with the toughness of metal alloys to lower wear and increase the durability of total hip arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to compare the 10-year polyethylene wear rates between OxZi/XLPE and cobalt chrome (CoCr)/XLPE articulations.

Methods: A radiostereometric analysis (RSA) was performed on two cohorts of 23 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty using either OxZi/XLPE or CoCr/XLPE at a minimum of 10-year follow-up. Cohorts were matched for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and diagnosis. Polyethylene wear was measured using RSA to determine total and steady-state wear rates for both cohorts. Preoperative and postoperative patient-reported outcome measures (SF12, HHS, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index scores) were compared.

Results: The mean total head penetration rate was found to be statistically different between the entire cohorts (OxZi 0.048 ± 0.021 mm/y, CoCr 0.035 ± 0.017 mm/y, P = .02) but not when 28-mm heads only (OxZi 0.045 ± 0.016 mm/y, CoCr 0.034 ± 0.017 mm/y, P = .066) were directly compared. The mean steady-state wear rate was not significantly different between the entire cohorts (OxZi 0.031 ± 0.021 mm/y, CoCr 0.024 ± 0.019 mm/y, P = .24) or 28-mm head cohorts (OxZi 0.028 ± 0.019 mm/y, CoCr 0.024 ± 0.019 mm/y, P = .574). Outcome measures showed no statistical difference except for the Harris Hip Score where the OxZi cohort demonstrated higher median scores.

Conclusion: Using RSA to evaluate the 10-year in-vivo head penetration, there was no statistically significant difference in steady-state wear rates between OxZi and CoCr articulations. Both bearing combinations demonstrated wear rates well below the threshold for osteolysis.