National Trends in Total Hip Arthroplasty Bearing Surface Usage in Extremely Young Patients Between 2006 and 2016

Long-term implant durability is a key concern when considering total hip arthroplasty (THA) in young patients. The ideal bearing surface used in these patients remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to analyze trends in THA bearing surface use from 2006 to 2016 using a large, pediatric national database.

This was a retrospective review from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2016, using the Kids' Inpatient Database. International Classification of Diseases, 9^th revision and 10^th revision codes were used to identify patients who underwent THA and create cohorts based on bearing surfaces: metal-on-metal, metal-on-polyethylene, ceramic-on-polyethylene (CoP), and ceramic-on-ceramic (CoC). Annual utilization of each bearing surface and associated patient and hospital demographics were analyzed.

A total of 1004 THAs were identified during the 11-year study period. The annual number of THAs performed increased by 169% from 2006 to 2016. The mean patient age was 17.1 years. The most prevalent bearing surface used in 2006 was CoC (37.3%), metal-on-metal (31.8%) in 2009, and CoP in 2012 and 2016 (50.6% and 64.8%, respectively). From 2006 to 2016, utilization of CoP increased from 5.0% to 64.8%, representing a 1196% increase over the study period.

The number of THAs performed in pediatric patients is increasing significantly. Although CoC was previously the most commonly used bearing surface in this patient population, CoP is currently the most common. Further investigation is needed to determine whether bearing longevity and clinical outcomes with CoP are superior to other bearing surfaces.