Y-TZP zirconia run against highly crosslinked UHMWPE tibial inserts: knee simulator wear and phase-transformation studies.
BACKGROUND
Zirconia (ZrO(2)) ceramics combined with highly cross-linked polyethylene appears to be a promising approach to minimize wear in artificial knee joints. The wear performance of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YZr) femoral condyles on 7-Mrad tibial inserts was compared in a knee simulator to CoCr bearing on 3.5-Mrad inserts.


METHODS
The knee design was the Bi-Surface type with a 9-year clinical history in Japan (JMM, Japan). A displacement-controlled knee simulator was used with kinematics that included 20 degrees flexion, +/-5 degrees rotation, and 6 mm anterior/posterior translation. Lubricant was alpha-calf serum, test duration was 10 million cycles (10 Mc), and wear was measured by weight-loss techniques. The wear zones were studied by laser interferometry, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman microprobe spectroscopy.


RESULTS
At 10 Mc the wear rates of the CoCr controls averaged 4.5 mm(3)/Mc. This was within 7% of the prior estimate at 5-Mc duration and comparable to Bi-Surface wear data from another laboratory. The CoCr condyles increased in roughness (R(a)) from <50 nm to average R(a) = 250 nm due to linear scratching. The ceramic condyles remained pristine throughout the wear study (R(a) <7 nm). With the YZr/7-Mrad combination, the weight change had a positive slope over at 10 Mc, which meant that the actual polyethylene wear was unmeasurable. Microscopic examinations at 10 Mc showed that the zirconia surfaces were intact and there was no detectable change from tetragonal to monoclinic phase.


CONCLUSIONS
Our laboratory knee wear simulation appeared very supportive of the 9-year YZr/PE clinical results with Bi-Surface total knee replacements in Japan.
Tsukamoto
Riichiro
R
Department Joint Research Center, Peterson Tribology Laboratory, Loma Linda University and Medical Center, Loma Linda, California, USA.
Williams
Paul A
PA
Clarke
Ian C
IC
Pezzotti
Giuseppe
G
Shoji
Hiromu
H
Akagi
Masao
M
Yamamoto
Kengo
K
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002516:Ceramics; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007368:Interferometry; D007717:Knee; D007720:Knee Prosthesis; D007834:Lasers; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011095:Polyethylenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D011474:Prosthesis Design / Q000379:methods*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013977:Tibia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D015040:Zirconium / Q000737:chemistry
D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D011095:Polyethylenes; C111601:ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene; D015040:Zirconium; C028541:zirconium oxide