Polyethylene liner failure in second-generation Harris-Galante acetabular components

Polyethylene liner failure of cementless acetabular components has been reported to be the most common complication of current modular cups. We performed a retrospective review of 128 consecutive primary total hip arthroplasties in 111 patients who had a second-generation Harris-Galante cup (Harris-Galante II, Zimmer, Warsaw, Ind). The mean length of the follow-up period was 8.0 years (range 5-12.9 years), with 26 cups (20.2%) having undergone revision by that time. Twenty-two hips (17.3%) had failure of the polyethylene liner. We found that polyethylene liner failure remains the main cause of revision of this modular cup. The main difference between our population of patients and other populations that have used this cup and liner is our population's cultural inclination toward squatting and leg crossing, body positions that increased the risk of impingement and eccentric wear.