HYDROXYAPATITE HIGH-PERFORMANCE POLYETHYLENE FIBER COMPOSITES FOR HIGH-LOAD-BEARING BONE-REPLACEMENT MATERIALS

A combination of three technologies, high-performance fiber processing , fiber compaction, and hydrostatic extrusion has been used to produce hydroxyapatite/polyethylene bone analog composites with the highest s tiffness and strength yet encountered in these systems, fully matching the values associated with cortical bone. These advantages of the new materials are complemented by satisfactory ductility. Observation of the melting behavior of the composites, together with an analysis of t heir hydrostatic extrusion characteristics, provides some understandin g of the mechanisms leading to their superior mechanical performance. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.