Hip implants are made of metal and either plastic or ceramic. Hip implants consist of 4 parts: a stem going down your thigh bone, a ball or head on top of the stem, a socket that is attached to your pelvis and a liner inside the socket. Femoral stems are made out of titanium or chrome cobalt alloys. Femoral heads are either metal or ceramic. Sockets are metal and the liner inside the socket is either plastic or ceramic.
Hip components can either be cemented into your bone or be pressfit whereby your bone grows to the prosthesis for stability. This decision is based on the quality of your bone.
Metal and plastic bearing surfaces(head and liner) are used in most patients. Ceramic bearings are used in younger and very active patients.
