How to choose an artificial hip joint? How do you choose an artificial joint when you are going to have surgery? I am often asked this question by patients. It does seem a bit difficult for the average person, after all, you can’t see it and you can’t feel it. That’s why we have to take some time and study it carefully. The artificial hip joint consists of four parts, the socket cup, the femoral stem, the liner and the femoral tuberosity. The socket cup and femoral stem are alloy, these two parts are fixed inside the bone, is inactive, need to grow steadily in the bone; liner and femoral small head is responsible for the activities of the bearing, every step, these two parts will produce friction. Various prostheses of the mortise cup and femoral stem difference is not very big, so the choice of prosthesis, the main difference is the activity of the bearing. If the doctor says ceramic to ceramic joint, he means that both the liner and the femoral tuberosity are ceramic. There are 2 types of materials for the liner, ceramic and plastic, and 2 types of materials for the femoral tuberosity, ceramic and metal, so there are three basic types, ceramic to ceramic, ceramic to plastic, and metal to plastic. These three types have completely different levels of wear resistance. The ceramic-to-ceramic is by far the most wear-resistant, with 20 times the wear resistance of ceramic-to-plastic and 200 times the wear resistance of metal-to-plastic. The best performer by far is the four-generation pink ceramic, which is both wear-resistant and virtually unbreakable. How many years does an artificial joint last? This is mainly related to the age of the patient. A 40 year old and a 60 year old obviously have completely different activity levels, and the same metal to plastic joint will last 20 years for a 60 year old and maybe only 10 years for a 40 year old. So the younger the age, the more important it is to choose a hard-wearing joint. For example, 7 years ago, a 45-year-old patient came to me to do hip joints, suggesting that she use ceramic to ceramic, at that time calculated that the total cost of both sides of the total cost of about 100,000 yuan, which is really a lot of money, and her family to raise up really difficult. Just in time, an individual hospital to engage in relief programs, all do down but 20,000 yuan, of course, is to use the most common joints. I couldn’t stop her. 7 years later, I saw her again and found that the artificial joints on both sides were severely worn out, with a lot of bone dissolution, and the artificial joints had broken through to the inside of the pelvis. The pain was so bad that she had to have a second, or revision, surgery. I really couldn’t bear to tell her that the total cost of bilateral revision would be more than 200,000 yuan, and even with the best materials, it would be difficult to use it for more than 20 years. There is also a huge risk of nerve and blood vessel damage, infection, and so on. Regardless of what kind of joints, within 5 years after surgery is not feel the difference, but life is long, now the correct choice of artificial joints can guarantee long-term use, if the right choice, a surgery, a lifetime of worry; greedy for a moment of cheap, but often planted the root of the trouble. There are too many examples of this. But it is not that the more expensive the better, we also often advise some wealthy elderly and filial children, 70 years old, metal to plastic is completely enough, do not have to be too costly, reasonable is good, money can be used elsewhere. In short, to choose a suitable joint, is a major decision, must refer to their own age, bone condition and economic conditions, more investigation and ask more questions, choose the regular hospital treatment, do not be greedy for cheap and do not want to waste money.