Method of Characterizing Fretting and Corrosion at the Various Taper Connections of Retrieved Modular Components from Metal-on-Metal Total Hip Arthroplasty

摘要

The purpose of this study was to determine the suitability of a fretting and corrosion scoring method for nondestructive evaluation of metal-on-metal (MOM) total hip systems. One hundred six (106) MOM bearing systems were collected between 2003 and 2012 in an NIH-supported, multi-institutional retrieval program. From these, 76 heads and 31 stems (22 modular necks) of 7 different bearing designs (5 manufacturers) were available for analysis, along with 10 modular CoCr acetabular liners and 5 corresponding acetabular shells. Explants were cleaned and scored at the head taper, stem taper, male neck taper (for modular stems), liner, and shell interfaces in accordance with the semi-quantitative method adapted from a previously published technique. Fretting and corrosion were observed on 68 of 76 (89 %) head tapers, 21 of 31 (68 %) stem tapers, 20 of 22 (91 %) male neck tapers, 10 of 10 (100 %) modular liners and 5 of 5 (100 %) modular shells. Adaptation of the method developed by Goldberg and colleagues is suitable for the variety of modular connections in contemporary MOM THA implants, which may incorporate modular femoral and/or acetabular components. These results support the inclusion of fretting and corrosion evaluation in standardized MOM retrieval inspection protocols.