Ceramics for total hip replacement--what a surgeon should know.

Numerous clinical results reported in the literature prove that ceramic femoral heads reduce wear, osteolysis, and revision rates in total hip replacements (THRs). Femoral heads and cups made out of alumina ceramics were introduced about 25 years ago, and femoral heads made out of zirconia were introduced about 10 years ago. Today, the wear couples of alumina-on-polyethylene or zirconia-on-polyethylene have become the standard in THR. The wear couple offering the lowest wear rate is alumina-on-alumina. This article discusses the state of the art and lists advantages as well as problems with the various materials used for prostheses in THR.