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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