Relationship between gravimetric wear and particle generation in hip simulators: conventional compared with cross-linked polyethylene.
Hip-simulator studies have shown reduced gravimetric wear rates for inert-gas gamma-irradiated ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene when compared with conventional ethylene-oxide-sterilized ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. Analysis shows a greater number of particles generated from inert-gas gamma-irradiated ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. This study was undertaken to examine particle-generation rates of polyethylene with different levels of cross-linking and to correlate them with gravimetric wear data. Particle-generation rates did not correlate with gravimetric wear rates. Particle analysis should be performed to predict the in vivo behavior of bearing surface materials. Cross-linked ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene subjected to 10 Mrad (100,000 Gy) of gamma irradiation generated significantly fewer particles than ethylene-oxide-sterilized ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene; it also demonstrated a 96% reduction in the volume of particles.
Ries
M D
MD
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, 94143, USA. riesm@orthosurg.ucsf.edu
Scott
M L
ML
Jani
S
S
D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011095:Polyethylenes; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011475:Prosthesis Failure
D011095:Polyethylenes