Corrosion at the interface of cobalt-alloy heads on titanium-alloy stems.
The combination of a cobalt-alloy head on a titanium-alloy femoral hip stem is widely accepted for press-fit and biologic fixation applications. Examination of 30 components retrieved at periods of 0.5 to 66.9 months for histologic examination of tissue ingrowth revealed that 56.6% of the tapered connections between head and stem showed evidence of crevice corrosion leading to concerns of metal ion release and the potential failure of head to stem fixation.
Dartmouth Biomedical Engineering Center, Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755.
J P
JP
Collier
V A
VA
Surprenant
R E
RE
Jensen
M B
MB
Mayor
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000497:Alloys / Q000494:pharmacology; D003035:Cobalt / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003343:Corrosion; D005260:Female; D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014025:Titanium / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000497:Alloys; D003035:Cobalt; D014025:Titanium