[Revision surgery of hip resurfacing]

Early results of contemporary hip resurfacing are encouraging and consequently an increasing number of this procedure has been performed worldwide. A theoretical advantage of hip resurfacing is that failed components can be revised safely and successfully revised to a conventional total hip arthroplasty. As the number of systematically analyzed failures is still limited, however, current data from the literature cannot substantially support this assumption. Our personal results indicate that the conversion of a failed femoral cup (i.e., due to neck fracture or aseptic loosening) to a conventional stem is a relatively simple and safe procedure. If and how potential wear of a firmly integrated acetabular component might have any impact on this type of revision, warrants further investigations. The conversion of acetabular components is influenced by the quality of the remaining pelvic bone stock and can therefore be compared to conventional revision surgery. However, as most providers of hip resurfacings systems only offer one-piece acetabular shells, the possibility of an isolated modular insert exchange is rare. In conclusion, the argument of easy revision surgery after hip resurfacing should be used with care.