Five years experience with ceramic-metal-composite hip endoprostheses. I. clinical evaluation.

Clinical experience with 130 endoprostheses, entirely made of ceramic, having an average 5 year follow-up is reported. Excellent to sufficient results were seen in 84% of all cases. A number of particular matters of interest (operative technique, radiological morphology of the bone/ceramic bone interface etc.) are discussed in detail. Complications (loosening of components: 2%; component fracture: 6%, wear phenomena etc.) are described and documented including histological observations from capsular tissue of total ceramic hip joints. The whole system has basically stood the test, during the implantation period, modifications to improve the function of the system will be described in another publication.