Histologic and ultrastructural analysis in a case of massive failure of Zirconia ball head

The in vivo histological and ultrastructural analysis of periprosthetic tissue collected at time of revision surgery for failure of a 28 mm yttria-tetragonal zirconium oxide polycrystal (YTZP) ball head, 2 years after implantation is reported. Histologic analysis showed Zirconia particles, rounded to polygonal ranging from 2m to more than 10m intra or extra cellular in a stroma without vessels with few giant cells. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) showed the different shape from rounded to polygonal of Zirconia. SEM analysis of the internal part of Zirconia ball head showed the presence of different fracture lines especially in the internal surface (Hip International 2002; 4: 388-93).