Implant wear mechanisms--basic approach.
Numerous parameters control the long-term performance of a total hip joint arthroplasty. The articulating motions between the femoral and the acetabular components produce wear debris in a hip implant. Surface roughness, clearance, coefficient of friction and sliding distance are found to be contributing parameters that affect wear rates. Wear produced in a hip implant leads to the loosening of a hip prosthesis and thus failure of the hip implant. Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been successfully used as an acetabular weight bearing component in the THR applications. Cross-linked UHMWPE was found to improve the lifespan of an artificial hip. A gradient cross-linking of UHMWPE has been observed to be a recent development in implant bearing materials. During in vitro studies, gradient cross-linked UHMWPE showed nearly undetectable wear rates.
Bhatt
Himanshu
H
Department of Biomedical, Industrial and Human Factors Engineering, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA.
Goswami
Tarun
T
D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000379:methods*; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004867:Equipment Design; D017276:Friction; D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D011095:Polyethylenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D013499:Surface Properties
D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D011095:Polyethylenes; C111601:ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene; D010100:Oxygen