Failure of Total Hip Arthroplasty due to Delamination and Wear of Titanium Nitride-coated Titanium Heads: A Case Series

Abstract

Introduction: We present the case studies of three patients requiring revision for premature failure of total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Case report: All patients received titanium nitride (TiN)-coated heads made of titanium alloy TiALV as part of their index total hip replacements. At the time of revision surgery, intraoperative findings included partial or complete delamination of the TiN head coating and wear/deformation of the TiALV heads.

Conclusion: In addition to PE wear as a known mechanism for THA failure, titanium wear appears to play a major role in contributing to early THA failure and acceleration of PE wear. As a result, the choice of TiN-coated TiALV heads for use in THA should be approached with caution. It is thought that manufacturers of hip implants are aware of this potential problem. However, in a global community, this paper simply aims to bring this knowledge to general attention, while the manufacture of the presented heads does not exist anymore.

Keywords: Total hip arthroplasty; revision; titanium head; wear.