UK Researchers Say Hip Resurfacing Data Show Unacceptable Failure Rates

LONDON — A large-scale study published in The Lancet Oct. 2 shows that metal-on-metal hip resurfacing procedures undertaken to avoid femoral bone removal in younger patients produces unacceptably high failure rates for individuals with smaller femoral head sizes, particularly women.

The report’s authors, who utilized data from the National Joint Registry for England and Wales on 31,932 hip resurfacings, concluded that the resurfacing option produced inferior implant survivorship to other implant options seven years after the surgery.

The authors also noted problems with metallosis in some patients. They recommended that resurfacing not be undertaken at all in women and that …