Dual-Mobility Acetabular Components in Total Hip Arthroplasty

With dislocation being one of the most serious complications of total hip arthroplasty, prevention of recurrent instability has been the driving force behind several implant designs, including large-diameter heads, metal-on-metal bearing surfaces, and constrained acetabular components. Dual-articulation acetabular component design was similarly conceived in an effort to reduce postoperative dislocation risk. This design, developed in France in 1975 and popularized in Europe, was recently approved in the United States and represents a new surgical option for United States orthopedic surgeons performing total hip arthroplasty.

In this article, we review the dual-articulation design in terms of its history, biomechanical concepts, published indications, contraindications, outcomes, and complications based on more than 20 years of largely French clinical experience.