BMJ report finds limited evidence comparing the effectiveness of hip replacement bearings
Published date : 13 December 2011
Article date : 13 December 2011
In a systematic appraisal of the published evidence reported in this week’s BMJ, Sedrakyan et al found that there is limited evidence comparing the effectiveness of different hip replacement bearings. The review was undertaken by the United States FDA in order to create a framework for the post-market evaluation of orthopaedic implants.
The authors examined 3254 abstracts and identified 18 comparative studies, and also reviewed national joint registry reports. They conclude that there is no evidence for improved outcomes in the group with alternative (i.e. metal on metal or ceramic compared with metal on polyethylene) bearings.
The full report can be found here.