Scratch and wear performance of prosthetic femoral head components against crosslinked UHMWPE sockets

• Published in: Wear Vol. 267; no. 11; pp. 1915 - 1921
• Main Authors: Lee, R., Essner, A., Wang, A., Jaffe, W.L.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 29-10-2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Abrasion; Abrasion resistance; Abrasion resistant coatings; Alumina; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical materials; Ceramic; Chromium; Diseases of the osteoarticular system. Orthopedic treatment; Exact sciences and technology; Fracture mechanics (crack, fatigue, damage...); Friction, wear, lubrication; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Hip; Machine components; Mechanical engineering. Machine design; Medical sciences; Orthopedic surgery; Physics; Polyethylenes; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Reduction; Solid mechanics; Structural and continuum mechanics; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgical implants; Wear; Abrasion; Ceramic; Alumina; Wear; Hip; Hip joint; Human; Femoral head; Prosthesis; Rupture; Bearing(mechanics); Ball joint; Osteoarticular system; Orthopedic surgery; Abrasion resistance; Abrasive wear; Crosslinked polymer; Wear resistance; Damaging; Tribology
• ISSN: 0043-1648; 1873-2577
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wear.2009.03.034

Total hip arthroplasty is a highly successful procedure where the hip joint is replaced by an artificial ball and socket joint. Bearing wear continues to be a contributing factor to implant failure. Prosthetic femoral heads roughen in vivo which leads to increased wear. Along with the introduction of improved polyethylene which reduces wear by up to 99%, improved femoral head materials have been introduced to improve resistance to abrasion. The abrasion resistance of two of these improved femoral heads was assessed in this study and compared to a cobalt chromium (CoCr) femoral head. The resulting wear performance against a polyethylene acetabular component was assessed. The bulk ceramic (zirconia toughened alumina) femoral head exhibited superior abrasion resistance compared to CoCr (97% reduction in damage) as well as reduced wear after abrasion (97% reduction in wear). The oxide coated zirconium niobium femoral head showed inferior abrasion resistance compared to CoCr (99% increase in damage) as well as increased wear after abrasion (161% increase in wear). Both femoral head surfaces utilize hard ceramic materials, however, the thin ceramic coating on top of a softer metallic substrate of the oxide coated bearing was unable to withstand aggressive abrasion.