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What is a Hip Replacement Made Of?

What is a Hip Replacement Made Of?

Many patients facing hip replacement surgery want to know more about what is being placed in their body.  In this video, Dr. Dan Albright, an orthopedic surgeon from Raleigh, NC, explains the different types of hip prosthetics and the different materials from which their made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary of Video:

 

 

 

 

What is a hip replacement made of? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a question asked by many patients. What is going in my body? Am I going to be allergic to it? What is it made of?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The answer is titanium - the most common metal used in hip replacements and cobalt chrome. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A femoral stem is made from titanium - no glue, no cement.  Most surgeons avoid cement these days. 

 

 

 

 

A ceramic or metal ball - ceramic is a little more expensive, a little smoother, a little harder than metal.  Cobalt chrome is the metal used.

 

 

 

 

A cemented stem is glued in. This type of stem is still used in older patients - 90-years-old, 80-years-old. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The socket is usually lined with plastic - highly cross-linked polyethylene plastic. This plastic has gotten much better in recent decades.  Plastic used to be the weak link in hips. It used to cause the failure of most hip replacements, but the plastic now is really good.  A ceramic liner can also be used. Metal liners are rarely used these days due to the metal on metal rub.

 

 

 

 

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If you have more questions about that or want to talk about hip replacement surgery contact Dr. Dan Albright at (919) 863-6808.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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