Typical hip replacement components in their position relative to the hip and pelvis. Photo courtesy: Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Washington Medical Center

The first successful artificial hip replacement procedure was developed by English surgeon John Charnley during the late '50s. In 1962, he devised a low-friction, high-intensity polythene suitable for artificial hip joints, and pioneered the use of methyl methacrylate cement for holding the implant to the shaft of the femur. His principles were later adopted for other joint replacements, including the knee and shoulder.