Corrosive Behavior of Different Materials in the Framework of Dual Mobility Hip Implants

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is currently one of the most challenging disciplines. At the moment humans’ needs are pushing the research towards innovative and comfortable solutions. Dual mobility is thus a valid and insightful design. It consists of a small femoral head moving inside a larger ball which articulates in turn with the cup, providing a good motion range and less risk of dislocation. Despite several advantages, more studies and data are still required. One of the key points is certainly the choice of material that is discussed in this manuscript. Titanium Grade V, CrCo alloy, stainless steel without and with coating of TiNbN were chemically assessed in saline solution. Open-circuit potential, potentiodynamic and galvanic corrosion techniques were adopted yielding differences in chemical stability and degradation resistance. After that, a topographical analysis was conducted and compared with the virgin specimens. This study represents an essential preliminary step, providing a foundation for future investigations into combined fretting–corrosion behavior.