Macroscopic third-body wear caused by porous metal surface fragments in total hip arthroplasty.

Implants with surfaces of various porosities and pore sizes are in clinical use. This article demonstrates how macroscopic porous metal fragments can detach from the implant surface in total hip arthroplasty (THA) and cause significant third-body damage such as deep scratches and indentations in implants' bearing surfaces. Radiographs prior to revision surgery due to aseptic loosening of the acetabular component revealed the presence of numerous small metal fragments approximately 1 to 2 mm in size in the periarticular area. The size, shape, and material of the metal fragments (cobalt-chromium-molybdenum [CoCrMo]) indicated that they originated from the porous metal surface. In this case, the acetabular liner composite material consisted of two-thirds polyurethane and one-third aluminium oxide ceramic. The femoral head was made of aluminium oxide ceramic. The aluminium oxide femoral head, which had been in situ for 21 years, showed no signs of macroscopic indentations or scratches, suggesting that an aluminium oxide bearing surface, which is significantly harder than the CoCrMo debris, is not significantly affected by metal debris embedment in the counterface material. The polyurethane-aluminium oxide composite material used for the acetabular liner is not comparable to a traditional ceramic bearing surface material. Debris damaged the surface of and became embedded in the liner, causing accelerated wear of the femoral head. In porous metal surface THA, ceramic-on-ceramic bearing couples should, due to their superior hardness, be considered to prevent excessive wear, including debris embedment and scratching of the bearing surfaces, especially in revision cases.