A prosthetic device having a generally fixed member formed from a low
friction material such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and an
articulating titanium member, which includes an articular bearing
surface. The articular surface is a zirconium oxide layer formed by
applying a coating of zirconium onto the titanium member and heating this
in an oxygen-containing environment. This causes the zirconium to oxidize
and further causes the zirconium to migrate into the titanium member
forming a titanium zirconium diffusion layer, which prevents
delamination.