Static axial push-on and lift-off, and push-on and twist-off experiments were designed and performed to measure the effective, room-temperature coefficient of friction mu for different design femoral prosthesis cone taper joints comprising a universal head on a stem spigot. Alumina and metal heads were tested on metal spigots using either distilled water, Ringer's solution, blood or no lubricant. Complementary push-on and lift-off friction tests of Araldite model joints for subsequent frozen-stress, photoelastic stress analysis were performed at 130 degrees C. It was found that lubricant caused little decrease in the values of the coefficient of friction in prosthesis tapers. The values measured were typically mu = 0.2 for an alumina head on a Co-Cr-Mo or Ti-6Al-4V spigot, mu = 0.15 for a Co-Cr-Mo head on a Co-Cr-Mo or Ti-6Al-4V spigot and mu = 0.13 for a stainless steel head on a stainless steel spigot. For Araldite photoelastic models of an alumina head on a Vitallium spigot, as-cast taper surfaces lubricated with silicone grease gave consistent friction of typically mu = 0.14. The axial displacement of model heads on their spigots were compared with predicted values and previously measured values for prosthesis heads.