A novel technique for the detailed size characterization of wear debris

The accurate and detailed characterization of artificial joint wear debris is important in determining both the wear rate of prostheses and understand ing the role that the debris plays in the development and progression of as eptic loosening. The novel application of low angle laser light scattering (LALLS) to the particle size characterization of ultra high molecular weigh t polyethylene (UHMWPE) wear debris is described. The results demonstrate t hat both ex vivo and in vitro origin wear debris samples, at concentrations typical of those produced via an alkali-digestion retrieval route, can be reproducibly analyzed via LALLS. Because the LALLS route enables particle s ize analysis of the entire debris sample to be acquired non-destructively a nd whilst in suspension, artefacts associated with filtering, drying and ag glomeration of debris are avoided, in contrast to currently used techniques such as filtration and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation. (C) 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers.