<unk> s have been used very successfully to anchor artificial joints (hip joints, knee joints, shoulder and elbow joints) for more than half a century. Artificial joints (referred to as prostheses) are anchored with<unk> . The<unk>  fills the free space between the prosthesis and the<unk>  and plays the important role of an elastic zone. This is necessary because the human hip is acted on by approximately 10–12 times the body weight and therefore the<unk>  must absorb the forces acting on the hips to ensure that the artificial implant remains in place over the long term.<unk>  chemically is nothing more than Plexiglas (i.e. polymethyl methacrylate or<unk> .<unk>  was used clinically for the first time in the 1940s in plastic surgery to close gaps in the skull. Comprehensive clinical tests of the compatibility of<unk> s with the body were conducted before their use in surgery. The excellent tissue compatibility of<unk>  allowed<unk> s to be used for anchorage of head prostheses in the 1950s. Today several million procedures of this type are conducted every year all over the world and more than half of them routinely use<unk> s – and the proportion is increasing.<unk>  is considered a reliable anchorage material with its ease of use in clinical practice and particularly because of its proven long survival rate with<unk> ed-in prostheses. Hip and knee registers for artificial joint replacements such as those in Sweden and Norway clearly demonstrate the advantages of<unk> ed-in anchorage. A similar register for endoprosthesis was introduced in Germany in 2010.
Bone cement
Artificial cartilage
Artificial bone
Hydrocollator
Medicinal clay
Bioceramic
Artificial ligament
Bioactive glass