(AMETEK: Philadelphia, PA) -- To understand how hip implants perform in vivo, Exponent, an engineering and consulting firm, along with the Implant Research Center at Drexel University in Philadelphia, are working together to utilize the unique capabilities of the Talyrond 585 metrology instrument from AMETEK Taylor Hobson in conducting advanced surface and material loss analysis from taper junctions in explanted hip joints.

Researchers have speculated that material loss from taper junctions may be a factor in the elevated revision rates that have been reported for some types of hip implants with a modular junction between the femoral neck and stem. The study conducted by Exponent's Biomedical Engineering Practice and the Implant Research Center involves the detailed analysis of metal head-stem pairs from retrieved hip implants.

The implant components are carefully measured for material loss from fretting and corrosion using the Talyrond 585. Among the study's goals is the development of precise analytical methods for determining how implant design, manufacture, surgical technique, patient history, and other factors may affect the material loss from the taper junctions in orthopedic devices.

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