Clinical development and current status : Europe

This article reviews the development and current status of cemented fixation in total hip replacement in Europe. Key points include the wide country-to-country variation in use of cemented vs. non-cemented fixation and the largely overlooked importance of the choice of bone cement as a factor highly correlated with clinical outcome. Laboratory studies by the authors are also reviewed. Results suggest that the type of acrylic bone cement used affects wear phenomena at the implant/cement interface. Further studies by microcalorimetry suggest that certain aspects of acrylic starting materials (low molecular weight and use of radiation sterilization) affect long-term physico-chemical stability and may thus influence clinical outcomes.