Fretting and Corrosion in Modular Total Hip Arthroplasty

Fretting and Corrosion Inside a Femoral Head

Modularity has been introduced into total hip arthroplasty to allow surgeons to more effectively address the wide range of patient-specific intraoperatively. Concern has arisen however, regarding the generation of metallic debris at this interface and how this debris may threaten implant longevity. The goal of this study is to characterize the mechanical (fretting) and chemical (corrosion) damage at the modular interfaces of THAs to better understand its clinical implications.