LONGEVITY: Hip Replacement with Cross-linked polyethylene

This study, in which Dr. William Macaulay is the Columbia site principal investigator, aims to gather information on the long-term effects of wear on different types of polyethylene (plastic) cup liners, a component of a total hip replacement.

The specific plastic liners being studied are the Longevity® Crosslinked Polyethylene (plastic) liner and the conventional polyethylene (plastic) liner. Both liners are FDA approved devices intended for use in the treatment of hip disease. The Longevity® polyethylene liner is made from a crosslinked plastic which gives it a different structure than the conventional plastic liner. We suspect that the crosslinked plastic may wear better in the long term based on preliminary laboratory data.

This study of 300 patients is being conducted at several hospitals including: Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO; University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME; Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, PA; Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, CA; Latter Day Saints Hospital, Salt Lake City, UT; and Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY. Columbia is the only site in the New York metropolitan area.