The in-vivo wear performance of prosthetic femoral heads with titanium nitride coating

This paper reports the study performed on four titanium nitride (TiN) coated prosthetic femoral heads collected at revision surgery together with patient data. Surface topology has been examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and elemental analysis of both coating and substrate have been evaluated using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Quantitative assessment of the surface topography is achieved using contacting profilometry. The average Ra roughness value is calculated at five different locations for each femoral head. The UHMWPE counterface worn volume has been measured directly on the acetabular components. TiN fretting and coating breakthrough occurred in two of the four components examined. In the damaged coating areas the surface profile is macroscopically saw-toothed with average tooth height 1.5 μm. The average Ra value is 0.02 μm on the undamaged surfaces and 0.37 μm on the damaged ones. Failure of the coating adhesion resulted in the release of TiN fragments and of metallic particulate from the substrate fretting corrosion and in the increase of the head surface roughness affecting counterface debris production. Our results suggest that TiN-coated titanium alloy femoral heads are inadequate in the task of resisting third body wear mechanisms in vivo.