Open AccessAre Damage Modes Related to Microstructure and Material Loss in Severely Damaged CoCrMo Femoral Heads?
Author(s) -
Stephanie McCarthy,
D. W. Hall,
Mathew T. Mathew,
Joshua J. Jacobs,
Hannah J. Lundberg,
Robin Pourzal
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
clinical orthopaedics and related research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.178
H-Index - 204
eISSN - 1528-1132
pISSN - 0009-921X
DOI - 10.1097/corr.0000000000001819
Subject(s) - fretting , microstructure , polyethylene , alloy , crevice corrosion , materials science , femoral head , metallurgy , implant , medicine , composite material , surgery
Fretting and corrosion in metal-on-polyethylene total hip arthoplasty (THA) modular junctions can cause adverse tissue reactions that are responsible for 2% to 5% of revision surgeries. Damage within cobalt-chromium-molybdenum (CoCrMo) alloy femoral heads can progress chemically and mechanically, leading to damage modes such as column damage, imprinting, and uniform fretting damage. At present, it is unclear which of these damage modes are most detrimental and how they may be linked to implant alloy metallurgy. The alloy microstructure exhibits microstructural features such as grain boundaries, hard phases, and segregation bands, which may enable different damage modes, higher material loss, and the potential risk of adverse local tissue reactions.