Campbell, D.Mercer, G.Nilsson, G.Wells, V.Field, J.Callary, S.2010-03-292010-03-292009European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, 2009; 20(1):23-271633-80651432-1068http://hdl.handle.net/2440/57168Wear induced peri-prosthetic osteolysis and aseptic loosening remain the major contributing factors to failure of total hip arthroplasty. To reduce wear particles from acetabular liners, the process of polyethylene cross-linking has been modified. In this study, we examine the wear of Marathon™ acetabular liners using Radiostereometric Analysis. Thirty patients were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Femoral head penetration was calculated for 25 patients at 6 months, 1 and 2 years postoperatively. The mean proximal head penetration was 0.067 mm at 6 months, 0.113 mm at 1 year and 0.120 mm at 2 years. The mean three-dimensional femoral head penetration was 0.240 mm at 6 months, 0.230 mm at 1 year and 0.232 mm at 2 years. For both parameters, there was no measurable wear between 1 and 2 years, and the mean annual linear wear was less than 0.06 mm/year, which is less than the suggested osteolysis threshold for polyethylene. All patients demonstrated a dramatic improvement in clinical scores. These results were comparable with other studies that used alternative techniques with conventional radiography to evaluate wear for Marathon™. Long-term studies using the RSA method are recommended to further quantify the clinical performance of this polyethylene liner.enHipWearRSAPolyethyleneRadiostereometric analysisCross-linkedJournal article002009145310.1007/s00590-009-0486-y0002729029000042-s2.0-7794948704338323Campbell, D. [0000-0002-1572-9529]Callary, S. [0000-0002-2892-5238]