[Total hip prosthesis with metal-on-metal slide matching--current developments based on long-term observations]

The first metal-on-metal artificial hip joints of the sixties (for example that of Mckee, Norwich) were soon replaced by models with polyethylene acetabular cups because of several shortcomings. 20 years later, however, a few patients were seen where such metal-to-metal joints still performed very well. Closer investigations revealed that with improved machining and a more perfect fit the failures of the first series could be eliminated and that these models were much less prone to wear than the ones using polyethylene. The author has developed and inserted such new prostheses, with good success so far.