title: A comparison of the wear of cross-linked polyethylene against itself with the wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene against itself.
abstract: Wear tests were carried out on reciprocating pin-on-plate machines which had pins loaded at 10 N and 40 N. The materials tested were irradiated cross-linked polyethylene sliding against itself, irradiated ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sliding against itself and non-irradiated ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sliding against itself. After 153.5 km of sliding, the non-irradiated ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene plates and pins showed mean wear factors under 10 N loads, or a nominal contact stress of 0.51 MPa, of 84.0 x 10(-6) mm3/N m for the plates and 81.3 x 10(-6) mm3/N m for the pins. Under 40 N loads, or a nominal contact stress of 2.04 MPa, the non-irradiated ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene pins sheared at 22.3 km. At the last measurement point prior to this failure, 19.1 km, wear factors of 158 x 10(-6) mm3/N m for the plates and 85.0 x 10(-6) mm3/N m for the pins had been measured. After 152.8 km. the irradiated ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene plates and pins showed mean wear factors under 10 N loads of 59.8 x 10(-6) mm3/N m for the plates and 31.1 x 10(-6) mm3/N m for the pins. In contrast, after 150.2 km, a mean wear factor of 0.72 x 10(-6) mm3/N m was found for the irradiated cross-linked polyethylene plates compared with 0.053 x 10(-6) mm3/N m for the irradiated cross-linked polyethylene pins.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Durham.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Joyce
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Unsworth
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001858:Bone Nails; D001860:Bone Plates; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D006801:Humans; D007595:Joint Prosthesis; D008422:Materials Testing; D011095:Polyethylenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D011126:Polypropylenes / Q000737:chemistry; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; C016674:Plastipore; D011095:Polyethylenes; D011126:Polypropylenes