The Birmingham Hip Resurfacing: 5-year clinical and radiographic results from a District General Hospital

We prospectively examined the functional and radiographic outcomes of a serial cohort of 104 Birmingham Hip Resurfacings in an independent centre. Final follow-up was to a mean of 61 months, and six cases were lost to follow-up. Excellent results were obtained in 91%, but obese patients had significantly (p < 0.03) poorer post-operative outcomes. Whilst there were no cases of neck fracture neck narrowing of up to 20 mm was noted. Radiolucent lines were present in a single zone in 9.4% (9/96) acetabular and 3.1% (3/96) femoral components. However, no components were definitely loose and there were no revisions for any reason during the period of the study. This independent series confirms that the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing gives excellent early clinical results and little early evidence of radiographic failure. The high rate of neck narrowing gives us cause for concern and we would recommend regular radiographic follow-up.