Influence of stem type on material loss at the metal-on-metal pinnacle taper junction

Harry S. Hothi, Robert K. Whittaker, Jay M. Meswania, Gordon W. Blunn, John A. Skinner, Alister J. Hart

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The clinical importance of material loss at the head-stem junction is unknown. Comparison of retrievals with different stem types can provide the opportunity to understand the importance of the taper junction. This was a case-control study involving 20 retrieved 36 mm metal-on-metal Pinnacle (DePuy) hips that were paired with either a Corail (n = 10) or S-ROM (n = 10) stem. The median head taper material loss rate for the Corail group was 0.238 (0.0002-2.178) mm(3)/year and was significantly greater than the S-ROM group (p = 0.042), which had a median material loss rate of 0.132 (0.015-0.518) mm(3)/year. The only significant difference between the groups was the stem taper roughness and length: this was rougher and shorter for the Corails. Long and smooth stem taper designs are preferred when used in conjunction with metal heads.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)91-97
Number of pages7
JournalProceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine
Volume229
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2015

Keywords

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Female
  • Friction
  • Hip Prosthesis
  • Humans
  • Metal-on-Metal Joint Prostheses
  • Metals
  • Middle Aged
  • Particle Size
  • Prosthesis Design
  • Surface Properties
  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Studies
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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