About Oxinium™ Material

More Resistance to Wear Makes For Long-Lasting Performance

A common issue with knee or hip replacements is what surgeons refer to as "wear." Any time two moving parts (like the two parts in your knee joint or hip socket) rub against each other repeatedly, friction occurs and tiny scratches can result, causing tiny fragments of material to come off over time. This effect - not unlike the action of a nail file - is a main reason a joint may "fail" and an individual will undergo repeat or revision surgery.

The Oxinium™ material has proven to be a superior metal for use in the production of knee and hip implants due to its hardness, smoothness and resistance to scratching and abrasion.

This superior strength results in less wear than cobalt chrome (historically the material of choice for knees) and more toughness than ceramic (an alternative material for hip implants).

Several key technical facts you will be interested in:

The Oxinium™ material incorporates the best features of ceramic (smoothness) and cobalt chrome (strength) without the risks of fracture and scratching respectively .
The Oxinium™ material is the result of a process that allows oxygen to absorb into zirconium metal, which changes the implant surface from a metal to ceramic.
The ceramic surface reduces friction between the implant device and the plastic component or cartilage, meaning less potential for wear and a device that should last longer.
Oxinium™ is 160 times smoother than cobalt chrome.
The Oxinium™ material is harder than commonly used cobalt chrome, and with only the surface changing during the manufacturing process, the rest of the implant remains metal to maintain its overall strength.
The Oxinium™ material is 4900 times more resistant to scratching than cobalt chrome for superior durability over time.
The Oxinium™ material contains no detectable nickel, the leading cause of negative reactions in patients with metal allergies.

For you, this means...

You can now discuss joint replacement surgery with your orthopaedic surgeon well before the age of 65 because Oxinium™ joint replacements should last longer.
If you have been a physically active person, Oxinium may be the best solution for you since the Oxinium™ material demonstrates such low wear rates.
If you are allergic to metals, you can feel safe about an Oxinium™ implant because it is one of the most biocompatible metals available.