Introduction

Recent clinical studies found no apparent reduction in wear using yttria-stabilized zirconia (Y-TZP) instead of cobalt chromium alloy femoral heads bearing against cross-linked UHMWPE. The purpose of this study was to compare the surface topography of retrieved Y-TZP and magnesia-stabilized zirconia (Mg-PSZ) femoral heads and evaluate the influence of time in vivo. The increase in average roughness (Ra, Sa) of Y-TZP due to phase transformation in vivo is well documented, while Mg-PSZ does not roughen or undergo phase transformation in vivo. However, the effects of phase transformation on the polarity (skewness, Ssk) of the surface of retrieved ZrO₂ heads has not been reported. We hypothesized that phase transformation associated with the increased roughness of Y-TZP would influence skewness and thus the wear potential of the heads.