Hope for hip joint patients

Fraunhofer develops a ceramic resurfacing prosthesis for the hip joint

Research News /

The hip resurfacing prosthesis currently used in surgeries is made from an alloy consisting of cobalt, chromium and molybdenum. But this metal is not tolerated well by all patients, some of whom develop allergic reactions or infections. In some cases, the prosthesis may even need to be removed. Through the Ceramic Bonepreserver project, Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS has developed a new ceramic resurfacing prosthesis consisting of femoral cap and monobloc acetabulum, which have a higher biocompatibility – and yet are just as stable and strong as their metal counterparts.