A review of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composite used to solve stress shielding in total hip replacement

Arthroplasty is generally used to treat advanced osteoarthritis or other degenerative joint diseases. However, it can also be considered in younger patients with severe joint damage that seriously limits their function and quality of life. Young patients are at risk of aseptic mobilization and bone resorption due to the uneven distribution of stress on the contact surface between the prosthesis and the femur that generates the stress-shielding phenomenon. To overcome this occurrence, it is necessary to use biocompatible materials with a stiffness that is similar to bone. Composite hip prostheses, consisting of continuous fiber-reinforced polymers, play a progressively key role in the development of prosthetic devices. Composite materials can be designed more carefully than monolithic stems (single-phase materials such as metals), allowing for the development of more effective tissue substitutes. Our purpose of this review was to analyze the state of the art in the use of carbon femoral prostheses. In particular, the major mechanical properties of reinforcement (fiber) and matrix were outlined with their applications in the prosthetic field