Changes in Bone Mineral Density of the Acetabulum and Proximal Femur After Total Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty

Our aim was to investigate the changes in bone mineral density (BMD) of acetabulum and proximal femur after total hip resurfacing arthroplasty. A comparative study was carried out on 51 hips in 48 patients. Group A consisted of 25 patients (26 hips) who had undergone total hip resurfacing and group B consisted of 23 patients (25 hips) who had had large-diameter metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty (THA). BMDs around the acetabulum and proximal femur were measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) at 2 weeks, 6 months, 1 year and annually thereafter during the 3 years after surgery. At final follow-up, the acetabular net mean BMD decreased by 11% in group A and 10% in group B with no differences between two groups (P = .35). For the femoral side, in Gruen zone 1, the mean BMD increased by 4% in group A, whereas it decreased by 11% in group B (P = .029). In Gruen zone 7, the mean BMD increased by 8% at the final follow-up in group A, whereas it decreased by 13% in group B (P = .02). In both groups the mean BMD increased by 3% in Gruen zones 3, 4, 5, and 6. Stress-related bone loss of the acetabulum was comparable for MOM THA and resurfacing devices, but proximal femoral bone density increased in the resurfacing group and decreased in the THA group.