Oxidized zirconium: a potentially longer lasting hip implant

Because younger, more active patients are receiving total hip replacements, it is necessary to develop materials, which would increase the life span of the implants and challenge their wear potential under adverse conditions. Oxidized zirconium (OxZr) is a metal with the surface transformed to ceramic by oxidation that offers low fracture risk and excellent abrasion resistance. This study compared wear of polyethylene (non-irradiated and highly crosslinked) with OxZr and CoCr heads under smooth and rough (clinically relevant) conditions. Wear was up to 15-fold less and up to 4-fold fewer particles were produced when coupled with OxZr than with CoCr, demonstrating that OxZr heads should increase clinical implant longevity.