How many parts are there in a hip replacement?
How many parts are there in a hip replacement?
Depending on the type, there can be 2,3 or 4 parts.
- The acetabular component can be made of a single material – either plastic or cobalt chrome alloy or ceramic, or it could have an outer shell of titanium and a lining of plastic, cobalt chrome alloy, or ceramic.
- A hip replacement has a stem in the femur which can be made of titanium, cobalt-chrome alloy, or stainless steel. On top of this a femoral head is placed. Some systems provide the head and stem in one piece, called a monobloc, while most nowadays have heads of different sizes and lengths to allow the surgeon to make adjustments at the time.
- Femoral heads may be made of metal or ceramic. The exact type of metal is important, as some metals can corrode when placed against others.