- a plastic cup that replaces your acetabulum (hip socket)
- a metal ball that replaces the femoral head
- a metal stem that is attached to the shaft of the femur
There are also ceramic hip replacements and other alternatives to the total hip replacement -- for example, the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System.
Sources:
Osteoarthritis Handout on Health. NIAMS. 7/7/07.
http://awww.niams.hin.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/oahandout.htm
Total Hip Replacement. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. August 2007.
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00377
Osteoarthritis of the Knee. JAMA. February 26, 2003 - Vol. 289. No.8. A Patient's Guide to Osteoarthritis of the Knee. Center for Orthopaedics and Hip and Knee Surgery. 7/29/2007.
http://www.eorthopod.com/public/patient_education/6516/osteoarthritis_of_the_knee.html


