title: The role of polyethylene wear in joint replacement failure.
abstract: Aseptic loosening is the major cause of failure of joint replacement prostheses. Polyethylene implants removed at revision surgery regularly show wear. It is proposed that the polyethylene particles released into the tissues as a consequence of this wear induce a tissue response that precedes aseptic loosening. This paper presents the results of recent in vivo and in vitro studies of the biological response to polyethylene wear particles undertaken in the authors' laboratories. A clinical perspective is provided by the inclusion of the authors' recent observations of retrieval analyses of joint replacement implant wear and the tissue response to polyethylene in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: McGee
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Howie
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Neale
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pearcy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002858:Chromium Alloys; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007595:Joint Prosthesis; D007596:Joints / Q000473:pathology; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D016348:Osseointegration; D010316:Particle Size; D011095:Polyethylenes; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002858:Chromium Alloys; D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D011095:Polyethylenes