OXINIUM material

Oxidized zirconium is a proprietary implant material of Smith Nephew Orthopedics (Memphis, Tennessee, USA) marketed under the trade name OXINIUM [114]. OXINIUM material is fabricated by heating the zirconium alloy device in the presence of air, which converts the surface to a black zirconium oxide ceramic ( 5pm thick) (Figure 6.13). In vivo phase transformation from metastable tetragonal to stable monoclinic is not an issue with oxidized zirconium because its phase content is over 95% stable monoclinic. Clinically introduced for the knee in December 1997 and for the hip in October 2002, oxidized zirconium is intended only for hard-on-soft bearings both in total hip... 

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