INFLUENCE OF SURFACE-ENERGY ON WEAR FOR V ARIOUS MATERIAL COMBINATIONS IN HIP-JOINT REPLACEMENTS

One of the factors determining the wear of UHMWPE used as acetabular c up material is the lubricating properties of the head materials. In or der to determine the lubricating properties, the wettability of Al2O3, ZrO2, CoCrMo and N-coated TiAl6V4 was established. Wettability is det ermined by the surface energy of the head material (solid-state materi al), which was measured via the contact angle of drops of fluid. As he ad material, appropriate rings from the Ring-on-Disc Test as per Inter national Standard 6474 were used. The poorest wettability was associat ed with CoCrMo. The wettability of Al2O3 and ZrO2 was comparable. Wort hy of note is the tendentially good wettability of N-coated TiAl6V4.