Hip Replacement Options – Towards Tougher Artificial Joints

Hip replacement surgery involves removing the diseased or injured hip joint and replacing it with an artificial implant. The hip implant consists of a shell and a ball that fits into the shell. A variety of hip replacement options are available by way of choices in the material used in the artificial hip implants and replacements.

The metal on plastic option of implant was the first hip replacement option available for artificial hips replacements. Both the socket and the ball of this implant are made of metal. Polyethylene is the choice of plastic used in these implants.

Metal-on-metal became a popular choice because it was found that these implants had a lower rate of wear than the metal and plastic option. Metal-on-metal implants were found to have a wear rate of just 0.01 mm per year which is ten times less than that of metal and plastic implants replacements.

Another hips implant and replacement option is the ceramic-on-ceramic implants. These are more resistant to wear than the metal-on-metal implants. Ceramic implants are hard, scratch resistant and have smooth surfaces.

The polyethylene implant is a technically advanced metal and plastic implant for hips. This is the newest option in hip implants and replacements. The strength and toughness of the plastic comes from the highly cross-linked polyethylene molecules, which increases options for hips.

An implant that is harder and more resistant to wear than other implants, does not automatically translate into a better choice. There are other considerations such as the age of the patient, the patient’s lifestyle and others that influence the choices of the implant used for replacements. Further, many of the newer implants have not been around long enough to know of any possible adverse effects that these implants may have.

Also see; hip pain causes.

About The Author:

Dr. Bharat Sharma is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.hip-replacement-care.com. He has been working in the medical rehab field for more than a decade. Keeping up to date with techological advancements he has become a self appointe