Aa. Besong et al., The influence of lubricant on the morphology of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene wear debris generated in laboratory tests, P I MEC E H, 213(H2), 1999, pp. 155-158
Citations number
8
Categorie Soggetti
Mechanical Engineering
Journal title
PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS PART H-JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE
Since the implication of polyethylene wear debris as a major cause of osteo
lysis in total joint replacements, there has been much interest in polyethy
lene wear studies and in cell culture studies using ultra-high molecular we
ight polyethylene (UHMWPE) wear debris. Studies have shown that particles i
n the 0.1-10 mu m size range are particularly important in causing adverse
cellular reactions resulting in osteolysis. The morphology, the mass and si
ze distributions, and the number of wear particles produced at the joint su
rfaces are influenced by the tribological conditions at the joint. Laborato
ry wear tests are used to investigate the wear properties of prosthetic joi
nt materials and different research groups have used different lubricants i
n these tests. This paper shows that the volumetric wear and morphology of
UHMWPE particles generated in vitro are influenced by the type of lubricant
used. This study compared, quantitatively, UHMWPE wear debris generated in
deionized water to debris that was generated in a system lubricated by bov
ine serum which was diluted to 25 per cent. The wear factors of UHMWPE in w
ater and serum lubricants were significantly different (p < 0.05). UHMWPE w
ore 14 times more in water than in serum. Quantitative analysis of the wear
particles showed that the debris that was generated in serum was morpholog
ically different from debris that was produced in a water-lubricated system
. Furthermore, the particles produced in serum showed a closer similarity t
o those found in retrieved acetabular tissues.