A Clinical Investigation of Hip Implant Migration and Wear

Abstract The prediction of survival rate probability for hip implants, based on clinical data acquired before and after surgery, incorporating patient-specific parameters, represents a pivotal advancement in enabling more precise risk assessment for potential complications, such as aseptic loosening and implant wear-related inflammation, on an individualized basis. This critical step marks a substantial progression toward the realization of digitized and personalized medicine. The objective of this study was to establish prediction aiding correlations between implant wear and migration data, derived from X-ray imaging of 149 patients diagnosed with hip arthritis, and the performance of hip implants. The patients underwent cementless hip replacement surgery, receiving implants consisting of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) paired with titanium-aluminum-vanadium (Ti6Al4V) wedges. Over the course of a median follow-up period of 4 years, X-ray assessments were conducted to monitor the migration of the femoral head and acetabular components using Ein Bild Röntgen Analyse (EBRA). Clinical findings revealed a linear relationship between average migration and wear. Notably, it was observed that increased cup migration corresponded proportionally to greater wear values. Furthermore, in-depth analysis revealed significant distinctions based on gender and age. Specifically, the established relationship can confidently serve as a reliable predictive model for the behavior of hip implants in female subjects and individuals aged 50–60 years.