Replacement hip joint, United States, 1998

Titanium Inter-Op Hemispherical Shell, hip prosthesis, by Sulzer Orthopedics Incorporated, Texas, United States, 1998.

Used to replace the socket of the hip joint, which is known as the acetabulum, this prosthetic is made from materials that are not recognised by the human body. This means that the immune system will not attack the new joint and reject it.

With an ageing population, over 50,000 hip replacements are now carried out in the United Kingdom each year. This example was made by Sulzer Orthopedics Inc.