Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Four Types of Orthopedic Hip Implants

With a large number of patients complaining about bone degeneration due to osteoarthritis, nutritional deficiency or accidents, hip implants are beginning to gain immense popularity amongst doctors and patients alike. If you are planning to undergo a hip implantation, it is highly recommended that you consult a well-reputed orthopedic hospital to avoid unwanted complications.

There are several types of orthopedic hip implants manufactured worldwide. Listed below are some of the most common hip implants used in the medical industry:

Metal on Metal Implants

These hip implants are made up of articulating surfaces that are completely metallic in nature. Depending on the severity of bone degeneration, the doctors might replace the femoral head of the hip completely or partially. Thereafter, a metal cap is placed to close the femoral head, acting like a ball and socket joint. The femoral head is then attached to a metallic stem, which is inserted into the femur or thigh bone.

Even though these metals degenerate at an extremely slow rate and score higher in terms of their shelf life, the safety parameters are highly debated. There have been concerns raised over possible “metal ions-blood” interactions, which might occur due to degeneration of the metallic frame, leading to a possible mix up of metallic ions into the person’s blood stream, causing metallic blood positioning or blood toxicity. Although there are no concrete studies or evidences to prove such claims, there are several health concerns that have been raised, making metal on metal implants slightly controversial.
  
Metal on Plastic Implants

These implants are the most common type of orthopedic hip implants used in patients worldwide. Here, the patient’s ball and socket joint in the hip region is replaced with metal implants. The latter is generally made up of stainless steel, titanium or cobalt chrome. Additionally, a plastic spacer, usually made of polyethylene is inserted in between the ball and socket. These implants are cemented in some cases.  In other cases, the implants are press-fit in the particular area, allowing for a possible growth and development of new bones around the implant. 

Metal and Cross-Linked Polyethylene

These are the latest additions to the family of orthopedics hip implants. They are made up of highly cross-linked polyethylene plastic chains, making them very resistive to normal wear and tear. Although they are believed to be very promising in terms of their durability and efficacy, they are relatively new in the market and therefore require more observational period to detect the possibility of side effects, if any.

Ceramic on Ceramic Implant

As the name suggests, these orthopedic hip implants are made of ceramic, a material believed to be extremely user friendly. These are known to have the highest shelf life. They deteriorate very slowly, making them one of the most sought after implants the world over. However, there have been fears of the ceramics chipping away or breaking inside, leading to secondary health complications in the individual.

Since surgical procedures might come with possible health complications, visiting a couple of well-reputed orthopedic hospitals to get a better picture of your hip condition is highly recommended.


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