Implant materials for hip endoprostheses: old proofs and new trends

Abstract

To judge the significance of a hip joint replacement, the clinical results over 10-20 years must be evaluated. Today, still over half of all hip endoprostheses involves cement fixation. The rest is uncemented, in direct contact with bone. Total hip prostheses with polyethylene cups are equipped either with cobalt-, iron-, surface-hardened titanium-based metal or Al2O3 ceramic ball heads. The pairing Al2O3/Al2O3 and CoCrMoC metal/metal for cups and balls are extremely wear resistant. Most of the cementless cups have spherical or conical cobalt- or titanium-based metal shells with inserts made of polyethylene or CoCrMoC metal. For the fixation stems, high-strength iron-, cobalt- or titanium-based wrought metals are preferred. A taper spigot connection between metallic or ceramic ball heads and stems allows a modular design of hip joint replacements. We have learnt much from the mistakes of the last 40 years in hip endoprosthetics, and there is no excuse to repeat them again.