Metal-on-metal local tissue reaction is associated with corrosion of the head taper junction.

Abstract We evaluated taper corrosion in 36-mm diameter metal-on-metal (MOM) and metal-on-polyethylene (MOP) femoral heads from a single manufacturer retrieved for various reasons. Three reviewers visually graded taper corrosion with a 5-point scale on 19 MOM heads and 14 MOP heads. The MOM group had a higher corrosion score than the MOP group (mean, 3.5 vs 1.9; P P