Mechanical performance of ceramic acetabular liners under impact conditions.
Although new generation alumina ceramics have exhibited a reduced incidence of fracture, concern still persists about the behavior of ceramic acetabular liners under impact conditions. The objective of this study was to explore whether fracture of a new generation alumina ceramic liner was likely to occur in vivo. Ceramic liners were impacted with forces of 23, 21, 15, and 12 kN (n = 3 at each force). At 23 kN, all 3 ceramic liners fractured on the first impact; at 12 kN none of the ceramic liners fractured after 20 impacts. The threshold force of 12 kN is large in comparison with estimated physiologic forces on the hip during falls or stumbling, suggesting that ceramic liner fracture is not a definite consequence of liner impact.
Maher
Suzanne A
SA
Laboratory for Biomedical Mechanics and Materials, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York 10021, USA.
Lipman
Joseph D
JD
Curley
Luke J
LJ
Gilchrist
Michael
M
Wright
Timothy M
TM
D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006622:Hip Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D011475:Prosthesis Failure
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D000537:Aluminum Oxide