Fretting Wear and Corrosion-Related Risk Factors in Total Hip Replacement: A Literature Review on Implant Retrieval Studies and National Joint Replacement Registry Reports

Abstract

Fretting corrosion is a known failure mechanism of total hip replacement (THR) that can lead to revision surgery. Implant retrieval studies have thoroughly documented the occurrence of fretting corrosion in THR implants and its correlation with implant- and patient-related factors. Although implant retrieval studies benefit both clinicians and implant manufacturers, the limitations of these types of studies need to be acknowledged. For example, while some factors are routinely investigated for a possible correlation with failure due to fretting corrosion, other factors are often assumed to have no effect. To improve on these limitations, this review investigates the most significant patient- and implant-related risk factors for fretting corrosion of THR implants for both published retrieval studies and joint replacement registries. The findings and limitations are discussed critically. It is concluded that retrieval studies add significant insight into implant failure mechanisms and should be used in conjunction with joint replacement registry reports. It is suggested that the development of reliable predictive models based on implant failure risk factors and decision-making support systems could lead to enhanced implant longevity.