Following the launch of Sandvik Bioline High-N, JRI Ltd, the UK specialists in the manufacture of hip and knee replacement prostheses, has chosen the new steel for an additional range of Furlong® Modular Hip Replacement Systems. It retains the femoral stem geometry of the original Furlong® Straight Stem design.
According to Sandvik, the Bioline High-N (high nitrogen) stainless steel meets or exceeds all international specifications for micro-cleanliness and other properties but is also extremely cost-competitive. High-nitrogen stainless steel is regarded by the industry as the material of choice for cemented hip prostheses. It has high purity, better corrosion resistance and a much higher yield and fatigue strength than conventional stainless steels. Most hip stems are produced by hot forging, which results in a fully softened microstructure in the metal. In the annealed condition, Bioline High-N exhibits a yield strength more than twice that of standard stainless grade 316LVM. Work hardening, induced by cold working the material, results in an increase in yield strength. It is predominantly this property in combination with improved corrosion resistance that, according to Sadvik, makes High-N type steels the material of choice.
