Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty for Fractured Ceramic Bearings: A Review of Best Practices for Revision Cases

Background Total hip arthroplasty revision for a fractured ceramic bearing is rare but offers unique challenges. The purpose of this review was to provide a summary of existing literature on fractured ceramic bearings. Methods Two authors performed a literature search of the MEDLINE OVID and PubMed databases with the following search terms: ceramic, fracture, total hip arthroplasty, and revision. Results The search identified 228 articles of which 199 were selected for review. Conclusions It is mandatory to perform a complete synovectomy and thorough debridement of the fractured ceramic fragments. A well-fixed acetabular component should be removed if either the locking mechanism is damaged or the component is malpositioned. If the femoral stem taper is damaged, the femoral stem should be removed. However, if minimal damage is present, the femoral stem may be retained and revised using a fourth generation ceramic head with a titanium sleeve. Metal bearings should be avoided and revision with ceramic bearings should be performed whenever possible.