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OrthoVellum

ยฉ 2026 OrthoVellum. For educational purposes only.

Not affiliated with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Adult Reconstruction
intermediate
X-Type

Hip Bearing Surfaces

THA Implants

A 55-year-old active man is undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis. He works as a tradesman and wishes to return to moderate activity levels. The surgeon is discussing bearing surface options with him, including metal-on-polyethylene, ceramic-on-polyethylene, and ceramic-on-ceramic. Regarding bearing surfaces in total hip arthroplasty:

Mark each as TRUE or FALSE

A

Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) has significantly reduced wear rates compared to conventional polye...

B

Ceramic-on-ceramic has the lowest wear rate of all bearing couples but risks include squeaking (1-5%...

C

Metal-on-metal bearings are currently the preferred choice for young active patients; ceramic fractu...

D

Metal-on-metal bearings have largely been abandoned for THA due to adverse local tissue reactions (A...

E

Femoral head size affects bearing performance: larger heads (36mm) reduce dislocation risk, improve ...

Answer the questions to see explanations

Click T (True) or F (False) for each option