Wear comparison between a dual mobility total hip prosthesis and a typical modular design using a hip joint simulator

The wear behaviour of a new dual mobility total hip design was compared with that of a modular design using the 12-station anatomic hip joint simulator HUT-4. In addition, two positions of the acetabular shells were compared, at 45° and 60° abduction. The acetabular insert material was conventional ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) in both designs, and the femoral head material was stainless steel. The differences in the mean wear rates between the two designs in either position, and between the two positions in either design were not statistically significant. The wear rates were of the order of 20 mg per one million cycles.