LUBRICATION PROPERTY OF TOTAL KNEE PROSTHESES WITH PVA HYDROGEL LAYERAS ARTIFICIAL CARTILAGE

To solve the tribological problems such as wear and loosening in exist ing knee prostheses composed of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylen e (UHMWPE) and metal or ceramics, a new design was attempted to realiz e adaptive multimode lubrication in the artificial joint. For this pur pose, artificial articular cartilage is required, which has a similar structure and function to natural articular cartilage. In this study, PVA (polyvinylalcohol) hydrogel was used as artificial cartilage in th e total knee prostheses. A PVA hydrogel layer was placed on an articul ating surface of the tibial component, and their lubrication property during walking was evaluated by the knee joint simulator test. Silicon e rubber (another compliant material) and UHMWPE were also tested and their frictional behaviors were compared with that of PVA hydrogel. As a result, PVA hydrogel showed suitable frictional behavior as artific ial cartilage.