Engineering issues and wear performance of metal on metal hip implants

A major concern in total hip arthroplasty is the generation of polyethylene wear particles at the articulating surfaces and resulting macrophage mediated periimplant osteolysis. There is renewed interest in metal on metal bearings as a solution to this problem in view of their potential for greatly improved wear performance. Using a commercially available hip simulator, the wear performance of metal on metal femoral head and acetabular cup combinations was evaluated and various parameters affecting metal on metal implant wear were identified. Nine implants custom manufactured from 2 medical grades of CoCrMo alloy (ASTM F1537-95 and F75-92) were tested within bovine serum as the lubricant to 3 million cycles (equivalent to approximately 3 years of service in vivo). The progressive wear of the components was determined by gravimetric methods at approximately every 300,000 cycles. The wear rates were characterized by an initial period of accelerated wear after which a lower steady state wear rate was observed for subsequent cycles. The presence of calcium phosphate films on the component surfaces, the microstructure of the lower carbon, wrought alloy, and increased effective radii (decreased diametral clearances) were identified as factors that may be favorable to improved wear performance. The extent of the effect on wear of each parameter, however, cannot be discerned at this point and necessitates a study in which parametric changes are more tightly controlled. The present study suggests that the use of metal on metal articulating surfaces may mitigate the problem of osteolysis by offering improved wear performance.