This 1998 Current Concepts Review by Jacobs, Gilbert, and Urban examines how and why metal orthopaedic implants corrode in the physiologic environment, covering electrochemical theory, alloy-specific corrosion patterns at modular junctions and fixation hardware, local tissue responses to corrosion products, and systemic distribution of metal ions and particles.
When a patient with a modular hip arthroplasty presents with unexplained pain, osteolysis, or soft-tissue reaction, consider taper corrosion as a driver — especially with cobalt-alloy heads on any stem type; serum cobalt and chromium are reasonable first-line tests, but normal levels do not rule out local corrosion-mediated tissue damage.
Avoid mixing stainless steel with cobalt or titanium alloy components in the same construct, as these galvanic couples are unstable and accelerate corrosive attack on the stainless-steel component.
This 1998 Current Concepts Review by Jacobs, Gilbert, and Urban examines how and why metal orthopaedic implants corrode in the physiologic environment, covering electrochemical theory, alloy-specific corrosion patterns at modular junctions and fixation hardware, local tissue responses to corrosion products, and systemic distribution of metal ions and particles.
When a patient with a modular hip arthroplasty presents with unexplained pain, osteolysis, or soft-tissue reaction, consider taper corrosion as a driver — especially with cobalt-alloy heads on any stem type; serum cobalt and chromium are reasonable first-line tests, but normal levels do not rule out local corrosion-mediated tissue damage.
Avoid mixing stainless steel with cobalt or titanium alloy components in the same construct, as these galvanic couples are unstable and accelerate corrosive attack on the stainless-steel component.