<p>A combination of experimental and finite element simulation was used to investigate the effect of friction and wear properties of magnetron-sputtered composite ceramic SiO₂/C coatings in artificial hip joints. The surface morphology, weight change, friction coefficient and surface roughness of the friction mating pair were comprehensively analyzed in several dimensions. The results showed that the composite ceramic SiO₂/C-coated ball head prepared by magnetron -sputtering technique showed a low wear rate and contact stress under different loading conditions. The increase in load resulted in an increase in the friction coefficient and surface roughness values of the ball head and liner, but the presence of the coating significantly reduced this increase and improved the wear resistance of the friction mating pair. In addition, the coated ball head and the paired liner exhibited superior wear characteristics under the same load conditions, with no significant abrasion marks on the surface morphology and minor surface scratches. The wear surface of the uncoated ball head showed obvious craters and striated abrasions above the loaded area, and the experimental wear characteristics matched the simulation analysis results, which fully demonstrated the potential of composite ceramic SiO₂/C coatings in improving the wear resistance of artificial hip joint prostheses.</p>