Hip material

31 July 2009

Morgan Technical Ceramics has developed a new bioceramic material for surgical implants.

Its Vitox AMC is an alumina matrix composite material that can withstand high shock without fracture and exhibits low wear rates compared to alumina, metal or polyethylene alternatives.

The material, which was developed at the company's facility in Rugby, UK, is a high purity, sub-micron grain-sized alumina matrix composite, offering a 55 per cent increase in four-point flexural strength and a 12.5 per cent increase in fracture toughness compared to high-purity implantable grade alumina.

The company's material specialists formulated the composite to enhance the mechanical properties of alumina.

The material's strength and mechanical properties enable intricate shapes to be manufactured and prosthesis with thinner wall sections to be produced. It enables the manufacture of larger diameter femoral heads (up to approximately 60mm diameter) and thin-wall section acetabular cups.

Both are proven to provide a more stable joint and reduce the likelihood of dislocation, a problem in patients who have undergone total hip-replacement arthroplasty surgery.

Larger bioceramic hip joints, close in diameter to natural bone sizes, give recipients a wider range of motion without the potential for dislocation.