Concerns remain regarding both the toughness of alumina, and stability of zirconia ceramics in total hip arthroplasty (THA). A zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) bearing has been introduced, in which yttria-stabilized, zirconia polycrystals are uniformly distributed in an alumina matrix. The goal is to combine the wear resistance of alumina with the toughness of zirconia. Zirconia's toughness is attributed to a tetragonal to monoclinic (t-m) phase transformation that occurs in response to a crack, hindering its propagation; however, it might decrease material stability. The purposes of this study were to investigate the degree and position of metal transfer, and the occurrence of t-m phase transformation using Raman spectroscopy, in a series of retrieved, ZTA femoral heads. Twenty-seven ZTA femoral heads were reviewed as part of an IRB-approved implant retrieval program. All acetabular liners were composed of highly cross-linked polyethylene. The length of implantation, age, body mass index (BMI), sex, and reason for revision were recorded. Two independent graders assessed each femoral head for metal transfer over three regions (apex, equator, and below equator), using a previously validated grading system (Figure 1). The female trunnion of each head was graded in two regions: the deep and superficial 50% (Figure 2). Raman spectra were collected with a confocal Raman imaging system (alpha300 R, WITec, Knoxville, TN) operating a 488 nm laser, using a microscope objective of 20X. Three scans were taken in each of the aforementioned regions of the femoral head surface. Scans were also performed in regions of visible wear or metal transfer. Interobserver correlation coefficients for the measurement of metal transfer between the two graders were determined. One-way ANOVAs were used to compare differences of metal transfer between the 3 surface regions (p < 0.05 = significant).Introduction:
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