Griffith et al. measured radiographic polyethylene socket wear in 491 Charnley low-friction total hip arthroplasties performed in 1967–1968, with mean follow-up of 8.3 years. The study asks: how fast does UHMWPE wear, what patient factors drive accelerated wear, and can clinical radiographs reliably measure it?
When counseling young, active male patients about THA, recall that this series showed they account for 70% of heavy-wear cases despite being only 23% of patients — a risk profile that underpins modern shared decision-making around bearing surface selection and timing of surgery.
For any institution tracking implant longevity radiographically, cup position within 10° of the coronal plane is a prerequisite for valid wear measurement, not just a surgical nicety.
Griffith et al. measured radiographic polyethylene socket wear in 491 Charnley low-friction total hip arthroplasties performed in 1967–1968, with mean follow-up of 8.3 years. The study asks: how fast does UHMWPE wear, what patient factors drive accelerated wear, and can clinical radiographs reliably measure it?
When counseling young, active male patients about THA, recall that this series showed they account for 70% of heavy-wear cases despite being only 23% of patients — a risk profile that underpins modern shared decision-making around bearing surface selection and timing of surgery.
For any institution tracking implant longevity radiographically, cup position within 10° of the coronal plane is a prerequisite for valid wear measurement, not just a surgical nicety.