Femoral heads in seven dogs were replaced with metal (titanium) and high density polyethylene (HDP). Clinical and roentgenographic evaluations and histopathological, scan electron microscopic and metal microscopic examinations were done in every dogs at intervals from 3 months to 3 years after surgery.
As a conclusion, HDP femoral head was inadequate for use as the artificial femoral head, because degeneration of cartilage or wear and deformity of HDP femoral head were occured 3 months after surgery and such destruction changes developed until 3 years after surgery.
On the other hand, titanium femoral head as metal was less harmful for acetabular cartilage even if 3 years after surgery, if it was not so larger. Then an application of metal femoral head for clinical use is recommended.
