title: Ceramic Femoral Heads for All Patients? An Argument for Cost Containment in Hip Surgery.
abstract: Trunnionosis and taper corrosion have recently emerged as problems in total hip arthroplasty (THA). No longer restricted to metal-on-metal bearings, these phenomena now affect an increasing number of metal-on-polyethylene THAs and are exacerbated by modularity. Resulting increases in metal toxicity and patient morbidity, and the added costs of toxicity surveillance and revision surgery, will place a substantial economic burden on many health systems. Although they are more expensive than cobalt-chrome heads, ceramic femoral heads make metal toxicity a nonissue. In this article, we provide a theoretical framework for debating whether use of ceramic femoral heads in all THA patients could represent a more cost-effective option.
authors.forename: Cody C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wyles
authors.forename: Benjamin A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: McArthur
authors.forename: Eric R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Houdek
authors.forename: Jose H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jimenez-Almonte
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. trousdale.robert@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Robert T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Trousdale
mesh_terms: D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D002516:Ceramics; D003343:Corrosion; D003363:Cost Control; D005270:Femur Head / Q000601:surgery; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000601:surgery; D006622:Hip Prosthesis / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D011474:Prosthesis Design