K-MAX ABC HIP System 1992 and AHFIX Q HIP System 2007 (Kyocera)

In Japan, many calcium phosphate bone replacement materials were developed and commercialized during the 1980s and 1990s. Among them, AW-GC showed higher mechanical strength and stronger chemical bonding to bone than sintered hydroxyapatite and was launched for sale in the early 1990s. Initially, AW-GC was used for iliac spacers, intervertebral spacers, and artificial vertebrae in clinical settings. In animal experiments, it was proven that titanium implants with AW-GC coating of the deep layer (bottom coating) of the porous coated layer by plasma spraying had high bone-bonding ability under load-bearing conditions [1, 2]. The development of cementless THA implants using this technology was promoted in collaboration with Kobe Steel Ltd., and clinical trials were conducted from 1992 to 1994. The K-MAX ABC HIP System (Fig. 8.1a) was approved for manufacturing and marketing, and sales began in 1997.