
Smith & Nephew
Metal-on-metal has had both good success and high failure in the past. By comparing the design features of the good and the bad, the proper design of the BIRMINGHAM HIP◊ bearing was made. Now, a decade later, the BIRMINGHAM HIP◊ bearing is the low wear bearing with the longest track record of success.
Most other bearing systems for THRs that are being marketed today have been developed and introduced since the BIRMINGHAM HIP◊ was first used. Although some of these bearings can trace their pedigree to earlier times, the design has changed over that time to address problems they've found. The BIRMINGHAM HIP◊ System can trace its bearing design pedigree to the 1960s, and can document successful clinical use with a constant design since 1997.