Hip replacement is a major step toward regaining movement and reducing long-term pain. If your hospital is suggesting a MicroPort implant, or offering to perform the procedure using the SuperPATH approach, it helps to understand who makes the device, how the surgery is done, and what you should ask about safety and follow-up.

About MicroPort

MicroPort Scientific Corporation began in Shanghai in 1998 as a cardiovascular device maker. Over time, it grew into a wide medical technology group, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In 2013 it acquired Wright Medical’s orthopaedics division and created MicroPort Orthopedics, with its base in Arlington, Tennessee, USA.

That orthopaedic arm runs research, manufacturing, and sales from Tennessee, while also operating plants in Suzhou, China. As a result, MicroPort implants may be made in the United States, in China, or in both, but design and quality-control standards are set to international norms such as ISO and FDA rules. I heard that anything to do with superpath is US manufactured, but am not certain at this point.

The company sells in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. In Southeast Asia, MicroPort hips reach hospitals in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore through local distributors. The business is still ultimately Chinese-owned, but its orthopaedic line keeps much of the Wright Medical heritage.

Hip Implant Families and Materials

MicroPort offers several hip systems. Names you might hear:

• Profemur – A long-standing stem line (including Profemur Z, LX, etc.). Some past modular-neck versions were recalled over fracture risk; most centres now use fixed-neck versions.
• Evolution and Dynasty – Acetabular (cup) systems with options for standard liners or dual-mobility inserts.
• Continuum and others – Cups inherited from Wright Medical.

Key material options:

• Stems – Usually titanium alloy with a porous or grit-blasted surface for bone bonding.
• Heads – Ceramic or cobalt-chrome metal. Larger heads reduce dislocation risk but may raise wear if combined with metal liners.
• Liners – Highly cross-linked polyethylene (plastic) is most common; ceramic liners are an alternative.

A modular neck design is not the same as a dual-mobility cup. A modular neck means the stem has an extra junction where the neck piece fits into the stem body. That allowed surgeons to fine-tune angles but increased fracture risk, so most surgeons favour monoblock stems now.

A dual-mobility cup is a different concept: it places a small bearing inside a larger polyethylene liner, creating two sliding surfaces. This can improve stability for people at higher risk of dislocation.

Surgical Approaches and SuperPATH Evidence

Hip replacement can be done through several approaches: posterior, lateral, anterior, and newer muscle-sparing routes. SuperPATH stands for “Supercapsular Percutaneously Assisted Total Hip.” It combines elements of posterior and superior approaches and uses a small incision with instruments inserted through a portal.

Claims for SuperPATH include:

• Less muscle cutting.
• Smaller incision and reduced blood loss.
• Quicker early walking.

Studies comparing SuperPATH with traditional posterior or lateral approaches show:

• Similar dislocation rates when components are well positioned. (I read this, but also read studies showing superpath is safer in this regard, though all the studies are Chinese and there was a suggestion that they may not be impartial. )
• A tendency toward faster recovery in some trials, but results vary.
• No consistent difference in long-term function, implant survival, or major complications once the surgeon is past the learning curve.

Overall, approach choice often depends on the surgeon’s experience rather than a proven statistical edge.

Safety and Recalls

Hip implants have long service histories, but design changes sometimes lead to recalls. For MicroPort:

• The Profemur modular-neck stems were recalled in 2015 and later because of rare neck fractures. Those models are mostly off the market, though you may still see them mentioned in old literature.
• Current fixed-neck Profemur and other stems have not been subject to widespread safety alerts.
• All polyethylene and ceramic bearings used today are from post-recall generations with stronger materials.

Long-term success relies on correct sizing, placement, and patient health. Even the best device can fail early if implanted poorly or if infection occurs.

Availability in Southeast Asia

MicroPort products are imported into Vietnam through authorised medical distributors. They usually carry the same FDA or CE-marked versions used in the USA or EU. Some hospitals also source direct from China, but reputable centres will document the supply chain and product registration.

If you are considering surgery in Vietnam, ask which distributor supplies the implant, where it is stored, and whether service agreements cover spare parts or revisions. Hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi often work with several brands (Zimmer Biomet, Stryker, Johnson & Johnson DePuy, Smith & Nephew, and MicroPort).

Patients who want an implant already licensed for use in the USA can request proof: the FDA’s online database lists cleared or approved devices by model name. Price quotes in Southeast Asia sometimes depend on implant origin: US-made parts may cost more than Chinese-made stock, even if they are technically the same model.

Questions for the Surgeon or Hospital

• What is the exact name and model of the stem, cup, liner, and head you plan to use?
• Where is each component made, and which regulatory approvals does it hold (FDA, CE, local)?
• Has this model ever been recalled or received safety warnings?
• Is the stem monoblock or modular? If modular, how is fracture risk addressed?
• What bearing couple will you use (ceramic on polyethylene, ceramic on ceramic, metal on polyethylene)? Why that choice for me?
• What head size and cup type (standard or dual-mobility) will you use?
• How many of these implants have you personally fitted?
• If revision is needed later, will compatible parts be available locally?
• Who handles after-sales support if a component problem arises?
• What is the hospital’s plan for infection prevention and early mobilisation?

Closing Note

Choosing a hip implant is a balance between design history, local availability, and your surgeon’s skill. MicroPort stems and cups, when correctly selected and implanted, perform much like products from other large makers. The SuperPATH approach is one option for getting the device in place, but it does not remove the need for careful component positioning or good rehabilitation.