Survival of the Birmingham hip resurfacing in young men up to 13 years post-operatively.

The aim of this study was to determine the medium to long term survivorship of the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing prosthesis in an independent series of young men. The medical records and radiographs of all men aged 55 and under who had undergone Birmingham hip resurfacing by the senior author were reviewed. Patients who had not attended recent follow-up or had been previously discharged were contacted by telephone. Between 1999 and 2011 a total of 147 hips were resurfaced in 155 patients (mean age 47 years (19 to 55)) with minimum 5 year follow-up (mean 8.2, range 5 to 13.9 years). Eleven hips were revised giving overall cumulative survival of 88.8% at 13 years. In conclusion, this independent, single surgeon series demonstrates acceptable survival of the Birmingham Hip resurfacing in young men. It remains a valid option in certain cases but we believe alternative bearings are more suitable for most patients.