Response of the articular cartilage to weight-bearing: comparison of hemiarthroplasty with ceramic and cobalt-chromium head in dogs.

The advantages of the use of ceramic in prosthetics are well-known, especially the fact that the coefficient of friction is significantly lower at the bone-ceramic interface than at the bone-metal interface. For this reason, ceramic is used for the cephalic component of the hemiarthroplasty. The advantages of ceramic, however, are purely theoretical, and have never been scientifically proven. The aim of our study, conducted on 20 dogs, was to observe the long-term effects of femoral prosthesis with a ceramic or cobalt-chromium cephalic component upon the acetabular cartilage. Our research was conducted on homogeneous groups of dogs under similar conditions. At 8 months, the results showed evident cartilage damage that was equal in both groups. We therefore conclude that as far as everyday wear neither material is favored over the other.