Socket Fixation

Smith & Nephew

It is common today to have a socket that is firmly attached to the pelvis through the use of bone ingrowth. The most common way to achieve this is to attach a porous material to the back of the shell using a heating process that basically welds the materials together. To maintain wear properties, the BIRMINGHAM HIP^◊ must avoid heat treatment. Therefore, developing a porous surface on the back of the socket was a challenge.

It was achieved by casting the porous surface and the shell at the same time. This eliminates the need to heat treat the structure maintaining the wear benefits.

Additionally, the porous structure of the back of the socket is coated with hydroxyapatite (HA). HA is a material that is made from calcium phosphate and is similar in structure to bone. The design and coating of the BIRMINGHAM HIP^◊ have remained the same over the last decade, leading to consistent outstanding clinical results.

Patients' Story

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Socket Fixation

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