Corrosion of a Hip Stem With a Modular Neck Taper Junction
A Retrieval Study of 16 Cases
Alan M. Kop, PhD, MSc, and Eric Swarts, BAppSc
The Journal of Arthroplasty Vol. 24 No. 7 2009
Abstract Since the early 1990s, there has been a dramatic increase in modular total hip designs ranging from a stem with a proximal taper and modular head, to a distal stem, double taper proximal neck, and modular head. Clinical advantages of the modular neck include intraoperative adjustment of leg length via the neck-head taper and femoral anteversion via the neck-stem taper. Sixteen cases of a double tapered cone, Margron hip prosthesis, were presented for retrieval analysis.
Macroscopic inspection, corrosion testing, light microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy were conducted to elucidate mechanisms of failure. In this regard, 6 neck components showed significant fretting, and crevice corrosion of the neck-stem taper with an average implantation time of 39 months compared with the remaining retrievals, which showed no corrosion with and average time in situ of 2.7 months.
This retrieval study demonstrates that even with a modern taper design and corrosion-resistant materials, increased modularity can lead to fretting and crevice corrosion, metal ion generation, and particulate debris that may contribute to periprosthetic osteolysis and loosening.
- Results With the Cementless Spotorno Stem in Total Hip Arthroplasty
- Third-Generation Ceramic-on-Ceramic Bearing Surfaces in Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty
- Corrosion of a Hip Stem With a Modular Neck Taper Junction
- Elevated Serum Concentrations of Cobalt, Chromium, Nickel, and Manganese After Metal-On-Metal Alloarthroplasty of the Hip
- Long-term Results for the Uncemented Zweymuller/Alloclassic Hip Endoprosthesis
- In Vivo Wear Rate of the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty
- The management of severe acetabular bone defects in revision hip arthroplasty using modular porous metal components
- Cementation of a Polyethylene Liner Into a Metal Acetabular Shell
- Blood metal ion concentrations after hip resurfacing arthroplasty
- Migration of the Trabecular Metal Monoblock Acetabular Cup System
- Risk factors for inflammatory pseudotumour formation following hip resurfacing
- Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty With Duraloc Cup in Patients Younger Than 50 Years
- Ten-year follow-up of the non-porous Allofit cementless acetabular component
- Ceramic-on-ceramic bearing surface and risk of revision due to dislocation after primary total hip replacement