Professor Middleton

Bournemouth University and the Royal Bournemouth Hospital (now part of University Hospitals Dorset, UHD) have published a study on the clinical outcomes of new materials used in hip replacements. 

Professor Middleton in Bournemouth and collaborating with hospitals around the UK started a clinical study 10 years ago to see the effects of using two new materials used in hip replacement. The first is an improved plastic used to make the cup of a hip replacement. It is called highly cross-linked polyethylene, and it was designed to be harder wearing compared to standard plastic. The second material is a bonded ceramic coating applied to the surface of the ball of the hip replacement, called oxidised zirconium, which was was designed to reduce the wear of the plastic it articulates on.

The results showed that the new plastic wore less and will increase the lifespan of a hip replacement.  The ceramic coating on the ball showed evidence of reducing plastic wear but not to the level of statistical significance.

This research contributes to our knowledge about which are the best materials to use in hip replacement and should benefit all patients having hip replacement in the future.

A big thanks goes to all the scientists at Bournemouth University and in the NHS at UHD for all their dedication and hard work in completing this study.

The full article can be accessed here.