IMPACT OF GAMMA-STERILIZATION ON CLINICAL-PERFORMANCE OF POLYETHYLENEIN THE KNEE

Damage and rapid wear of the ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene b earings of knee components continue to be major sources of failure of knee pros theses. Despite considerable research into the roles of desi gn, polyethylene thickness and quality, and component alignment, the s ource of the rapid wear failures has remained a mystery. This study do cuments elevated oxidation resulting from the use of gamma sterilizati on in air, the most common sterilization technique used by the orthopa edic implant industry This oxidation reduces static strength and elong ation properties and significantly decreases the resistance of polyeth ylene bearings to fatigue, a frequent source of early damage of many o f these devices.