Wear Resistant Implants - Wear The Sturdy One!  
 

January 25, 2006

By: Dr. Bharat Sharma
Website: http://www.hip-replacement-care.com

Wear Resistant Implants - Wear The Sturdy One!

A Hip replacement implant is the only option left for people with a troublesome, debilitating hip. However, there are many factors to be considered before your hips are replaced with an artificial implant. Hip replacements may not provide the range of activities before surgery. The artificial hip joints are liable to wear, leading to replacement implant failure. At this point in time, there is no implant that is free of friction forces. But researchers have devised wear resistant implants that have lesser degree of friction and wear.

Metal replacement implants have shown to be more wear resistant when compared to their counterpart. Traditional implants have a polyethylene component which when rubs on the metal components and wears out. Metal implants have a metal femur head moving against a metal acetabulum. Metal implants can be regarded as a wear resistant implant and are long lasting. Although the cost is a bit higher, the advantages of metal implants are worth paying for. Young patients can anticipate in an active life without the concern about revision surgery due to friction.

Metal surfaces demonstrate less linear wear in most cases, but are likely more sensitive to failure due to surgical technique. Despite a lower volume of wear associated with metal-on-metal implants, the particles that are produced are very small, resulting in a larger number of particles compared with metal-on-polyethylene couples. This may be of some concern because the full biological response to metal particles or ions is presently unknown. This issue seems to be most significant in patients with inadequately functioning kidneys.

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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 appointed expert.

 
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