A prosthetic hip joint includes a ceramic hip head having a bore which defines a surface, wherein the bore surface has a layer of malleable material disposed on at least a portion thereof. The surface of the bore includes surface imperfections in the form of peaks and valleys. The prosthetic hip joint can also include a femoral component having a trunnion with a tapered surface adapted for friction fit insertion into the bore of the hip head. The layer of material, such as pure titanium, distributes a load on the joint reducing localized stress points produced by opposing asperity peaks in the load-bearing surfaces of the bore and trunnion.