The articulating surfaces of a new metal-on-metal (MoM) hip prosthesis system were modified with the ceramic Titanium-Niobium-Nitride (TiNbN) by Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD). The purpose of the study was to investigate whether the elevation of the ion levels of chromium and cobalt, normally seen in the blood of patients after MoM hip arthroplasty, can be prevented by ceramic engineering of the articulating metal surfaces. the ACCIS components (manufactured by Implantcast GmbH, Buxtehude, Germany from casted hi-carbon Co-Cr-Mo alloy) are heat treated, polished and micro-surface finished. Then TiNbN ceramic is integrated into the metal surfaces by PVD. 200 ACCIS resurfacing hip prostheses were implanted in three centres: Morriston Hospital, Swansea and Neville Hall Hospital, Abergavenny in the UK and Arthro Clinic, Hamburg, Germany. Blood samples of 60 randomly selected patients were analysed before surgery and at intervals of 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery. Independent trace metal measurements were performed at the Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Germany.Introduction
Materials and methods
