History and modern concepts in surface replacement.

Hip resurfacing is not a modern concept. Professor Sir John Charnley attempted the first hip resurfacing procedure in the 1950s. This implant failed as a result of unsatisfactory materials and the same problem has troubled hip resurfacing developments over the subsequent forty years. Modern hip resurfacing using metal-on-metal bearings has shown good medium-term results in the most challenging subgroup--young active patients.