CERAMIC -CERAMIC BEARINGS IN TOTAL HIP ART HROPLASTY : P RELIMINARY ...
Source: www.orthojournalhms.org
Topic: Ceramics
Sort Desciption: 92 INTRODUCTION Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a cost effective surgical procedure for relief of pain and restoration of function of the diseased hip. Successful THA has contributed to enhanced ...
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INTRODUCTION
Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a cost effective surgical
procedure for relief of pain and restoration of function of
the diseased hip. Successful THA has contributed to enhanced
mobility and comfortable independent living for people
who would otherwise be substantially disabled. Currently,
the majority of devices include a bearing that consists of a
metallic modular head articulating against ultra-high molecular
weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). A consequence of the
metal-on-polyethylene articulation is surface wear, liberating
polyethylene and metal wear debris. Today, osteolysis as a
result wear debris is the major cause of long-term failure of
primary THA.
The increasing volume of THA performed in younger
patients, in conjunction with a greater patient longevity, has
raised expectations of implant survivorship beyond that
expected of traditional bearings. Twenty-five years ago, DeLee
and Charnley published their initial results attempting to
quantify the rate of penetration of the femoral head into
a cemented, all-polyethylene acetabular component.1 Since
this report, much has been written on the result of wear
and osteolysis, in which metal-on-polyethylene articulation
is considered "the weak link" in primary THA.2-8 Therefore,
enhancing the metal-on-polyethylene articulation has been
aggressively pursued by surgeons and industry.
Alternatively, ceramic-on-ceramic bearings offer the opportunity
to eliminate the metal-on-polyethylene bearing and
polyethylene wear debris entirely. Lyman-Smith is often
credited with the earliest published report (1963) of the use
and the bodys tolerance of implanted ceramic materials. This
was a porous ceramic (alumina - Al
2
O
3
) imbedded with epoxy
resins.9,10 However, ceramic material for implantation were
reported thirty years earlier in the ...
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