Once upon a time.... Dual mobility: history.

INTRODUCTION: Since 1962, the low friction arthroplasty developed by Sir John Charnley has given us very good long terms results at more than 40 years follow up, but dislocation remains a major complication. The dislocation rate is a permanent risk during the life of the patient and the prosthesis, defined by J. Caton and D. Berry in 2004 as a cumulative risk. History and concept development: The concept of dual mobility was thought up by G. Bousquet, A. Rambert and J. Rieu in the 1970s (1974-1979). The first one in 1979 was called NOVAE and combined two articulations: one large and one smaller by a recruitement phenomenon increasing the jumps distance and so decreasing dislocation forces. In 2003, D. Noyer published the first paper about the «third articulation»: a true metal/PE bearing. Since 1996, twenty years after the first patent, many dual mobility cups have been developed with various fixation ways and various designs.

CONCLUSION: Today with the same principles there are many differences for the «third generation» with excellent results at more than ten years FU with less than 1% to 2% dislocation rate in primary, revision, recurrent THA dislocation and THA after femoral neck fractures.