Biomaterials
A 58-year-old woman presents 3 years after total hip arthroplasty with a modular cobalt-chromium femoral head on a titanium stem. She reports progressive groin pain and a recent onset of clicking sensation. Serum cobalt and chromium levels are elevated. MRI shows a large fluid collection around the hip with metallosis. Revision surgery reveals significant corrosion at the head-neck taper junction. Regarding corrosion mechanisms in orthopaedic implants:
Mark each as TRUE or FALSE
Fretting corrosion occurs at modular junctions (head-neck taper, stem-neck junction) where micromoti...
Galvanic corrosion occurs when two dissimilar metals are coupled in an electrolyte (body fluid); the...
Corrosion only occurs with metal-on-metal bearings; titanium alloys are immune to corrosion; smaller...
Crevice corrosion occurs in confined spaces (under screw heads, in modular junctions) where oxygen c...
Clinical consequences of implant corrosion include adverse local tissue reactions (ALTR/ARMD), pseud...
Answer the questions to see explanations
Click T (True) or F (False) for each option