Ceramic-on-Ceramic Total Hip Arthroplasty: I Can Hear You

Background: Squeaking is a known complication of ceramic-on-ceramic (CoC) total hip arthroplasty (THA), yet there is a lack of studies specifically quantifying its loudness. The aims of this study were: (1) to determine the incidence of squeaking in CoC THAs at long-term follow-up; (2) to identify risk factors; and (3) to quantify the loudness of the squeaking.Methods: A specifically designed prospective questionnaire was used to determine the prevalence, characteristics, and loudness of squeaking in 130 (110 patients) primary THAs with fourth-generation CoC bearings at a mean follow-up of 10.5 years. The loudness of the squeaking was determined by the decibel (dB) scale from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Results: Overall, 28% of the CoC hips experienced squeaking. The mean onset was 5.7 years postoperatively, with 39% of the cases having their onset more than 5 years after their THA. Patients with a lower body mass index were more likely to report squeaking (P = .009). The mean loudness of the squeak was 35 dB (range, 10-70 dB) and was loud in 36% of the hips. Patients who developed squeaking early postoperatively had louder squeaking than those with a later onset (P = .007). The loudness of the squeaking sound progressed in 25% of the cases, and these hips had louder squeaking (P = .04). Conclusions: Squeaking after CoC THA is not uncommon, can be relatively loud, and increases over time. This needs to be considered in young patients that are candidates for CoC THAs.(c) 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of The American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).