Titanium alloy hip joint replacement
United States, 1998
Made from titanium alloy, this prosthetic
(shown in the centre) is used to replace worn out, damaged or
diseased hip joints. Joint replacements and implants are made from
materials such as titanium that are not recognised by the human
body (so they will not be attacked by the immune system and
rejected). With an ageing population, over 50 000 hip replacements
are now carried out in the United Kingdom each year. This example
was made by Sulzer Orthopedics Inc, who also donated the hip
replacement to the Science Museum's collections. It is shown here
with other replacement joints.