Ceramic Bearings Fracture: A Literature Review on Risk Factors, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Ceramic surfaces are commonly used in total hip arthroplasty (tha) in young patients due to their good tribological properties. nonetheless, the fracture of ceramic components is among the most demanding complications of total hip arthroplasty.ceramic failure is a matter of emergency and needs urgent revision arthroplasty. in this regard, the present study aimed to better understand how to diagnose a ceramic component fracture, identify the major risk factors for the fracture of ceramic components, and analyze the different techniques used in revision arthroplasty for ceramic bearing failure.the literature search was performed on pubmed, medlineovid, and cochrane reviews. the search keywords included ceramic fracture, ceramic failure, and ceramic arthroplasty revision surgery. a number of 47 articles were selected out of 126 articles found in the initial research. xray and computed tomography (ct) scan must be utilized on suspicion of ceramic component fracture. the most relevant risk factor for head fracture is short neck and 28mm head combination. moreover, acetabular cup malpositioning and liner misalignment during insertion are the two major risk factors for liner fracture. there is no consensus on the best revision treatment strategy. nonetheless, it is necessary to perform a complete synovectomy and an accurate cleaning of the hip joint before the implant of the new components. stability, integrity, and positioning of both femoral and acetabular components must be evaluated during surgery. if damaged, even wellfixed components should be removed. new ceramic bearing surface is the best option, whereas metal is not recommended for revision surgery.