Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026

The Transition to an Anterior-Based Muscle Sparing Approach Improves Early Postoperative Function but is Associated with a Learning Curve
Published on: September 7, 2022
Is there evidence for a superior method of socket fixation in hip arthroplasty? A systematic review
Dean Pakvis1, Gijs van Hellemondt, Enrico de Visser
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medisch Spectrum Twente, P.O. Box 50000 , 7500, KA Enschede, The Netherlands. d.pakvis@mst.nl
Purpose:
Total hip arthroplasty has been a very succesful orthopaedic procedure. The optimal fixation method of the acetabular component however, has not yet been defined.
Methods:
We performed a systematic review using the Medline and Embase databases to find evidence for the superiority of cemented or cementless acetabular components on short- and long-term clinical and radiological parameters. Methodological quality for randomised trials was assessed using the van Tulder checklist, and for the non randomised studies we used the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale.
Results:
Our search strategy revealed 16 randomised controlled trials (RCT) and 19 non RCT studies in which cemented and cementless acetabular components are compared. A best evidence analysis for complications, wear, osteolysis, migration and clinical scores showed no superiority for either cemented or cementless socket in the RCTs. A best evidence analysis for non RCT studies revealed better osteolysis, migration properties and aseptic loosening survival for cementless sockets; however, wear and overall survival favoured the cemented sockets.
Conclusions:
We recommend that an orthopaedic surgeon should choose an established cemented or cementless socket for hip replacement based on patient characteristics, knowledge, experience and preference.
