CERAMIC

Ceramic is a harder, more polished material than metal and plastic. Ceramic is used in younger patients because of the possibility of lasting longer. Dr. Allison usually uses these in patients under the age of 50. Ceramic is a more brittle substance and a few hips have broken. None have broken within the company that Dr. Allison uses and this company is FDA approved.

METAL ON PLASTIC

When hip replacement began, the standard of care was metal rotating on plastic.  It is still the standard of care today. Most hips placed around the world are placed with a metal ball rotating against a plastic cup.  Dr. Allison continues to place most hips this way.  It has the advantage of years of reliability and experience.

METAL ON METAL

Metal rotating on metal is a form of replacement that has the advantage of lasting longer due to the hardness of the surfaces rotating together. They have become more popular in recent years. They are indicated in younger patients due to their assumed longevity. These hips are made of cobalt chromium. Chromium ions have been shown to be elevated in the blood of patients with these hips. Chromium has been implicated in some types of cancer. For this reason Dr. Allison is not currently using this type of replacement and will not until their safety has been proven on a long term basis.