[Particle disease--aseptic loosening of the total hip endoprosthesis]

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) improves the ability and quality of life in patients with hip dysfunction due to different causes. Aseptic loosening is the major cause of the late hip endoprosthesis failure. It results from aseptic inflammatory reaction induced by the implant wear debris accumulating at the prosthesis interface, and is mediated by numerous cellular and humoral factors. Due to presence of wear debris we call aseptic loosening of the total hip endoprosthesis as "particle disease". In the most important of factors affecting the risk of aseptic instability include patient's age, sex, body mass index, underlying morbidity (reason for THA), endoprosthetic material and surgeon's skill. However, taken together, all these factors explain only a minor part of variability of this phenomenon. Factors that are decisive for the occurrence of aseptic instability are still largely unknown. The existence of "individual disposition" for development of aseptic instability that is not determined by demographic or biomechanical factors is well recognized.