Information for Medical Professionals

Modular titanium alloy neck adapter failure investigated

The failure of modular titanium alloy neck adapters following hip arthroplasty can be caused by micromotions as a result of surface contamination or over-loading of the joint.

Researchers behind the Modular Titanium Alloy Neck Adapter Failures in Hip Replacement - Failure Mode Analysis and Influence of Implant Material study, which was published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2010, showed that the patients most at risk from failure were men weighing more than 100 kg.

The researchers concluded that modular cobalt chrome neck adapters provided higher safety when compared to joint replacement components made from titanium alloy material.

"With a cobalt-chromium neck the micromotions can be reduced by a factor of three compared to the titanium neck. The incidence of fretting corrosion was also substantially lower with the cobalt-chromium neck configuration," the researchers claimed.

Last year, Device Link noted that titanium remains the metal of choice for most custom-made joint replacement implants as it is makes components easily producible with standard milling techniques.

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