Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is extensively used in total joint replacements. Wear, fatigue, and fracture have limited the longevity of UHMWPE components. For this reason, significant effort has been directed towards understanding the failure and wear mechanisms of UHMWPE, both at a micro-scale and a macro-scale, within the context of joint replacements. We have previously ...

This work explores the effect of surface modification of stainless steel with a carbon nitride (CNx) film, under sliding wear of the UHMWPE/steel. Wettatibility of CNx coatings is assessed by means of the sessile drop method using two different liquid media. Microhardness and stiffness of CNx coatings are estimated by depth-sensing indentation. The sliding performance of UHMWPE against stainles...

Introduction: Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been ubiquitous as a bearing surface material in joint arthroplasty for decades. Yet, its vulnerability to wear and fatigue failure following oxidation remains a major concern. Although significant gains in wear reduction and oxidation resistance have been achieved with a combination of cross-linking and heat treatments, these ...

Introduction: Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) components used in total joint replacements have rims and fillets that act as design stress risers; thus, it is of interest to determine the behavior UHMWPE under multiaxial loading conditions. Currently, there are a number of conventional and crosslinked UHMWPE formulations in clinical use in total hip and total knee replacement c...

Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) submicron wear debris particles in total joint replacement (TJR) prosthesis have been observed clinically to cause osteolysis. In this study, the formation of UHMWPE submicron wear debris was investigated by modeling a nanoscale asperity on the surface of a CoCr femoral component of a total knee replacement (TKR) prosthesis using a Si3N4 AFM com...

Introduction: Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is a common bearing component in Total Knee Replacement (TKR) implants, and its susceptibility to wear continues to be the long-term limiting factor in the life of these implants. Novel material modifications have been introduced to reduce UHMWPE wear rates and thus improve the life of TKRs. Radiation and crosslinking of UHMWPE hav...

BACKGROUND Periprosthetic osteolysis is a major cause of aseptic loosening in joint arthroplasty. This study investigates the impact of CT (calcitonin) deficiency and CT substitution under in-vivo circumstances on particle-induced osteolysis in Calca -/- mice. METHODS We used the murine calvarial osteolysis model based on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) particles in 10 C57BL...

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) treatment was used on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), a common articulating counter material employed in hip and knee replacements. UHMWPE is a biocompatible polymer with low friction coefficient, yet does not have robust wear characteristics. CAP effectively cross-links the polymer chains of the UHMWPE improving wear performance (Perni et al., A...

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin E-stabilized, radiation cross-linked ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is used in total joint arthroplasty as a bearing surface with low wear and improved mechanical properties compared to irradiated and melted UHMWPE [1]. Vitamin E stabilizes the residual free radicals trapped in the material after irradiation and ensures oxidative resistance, thus resulti...

Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been applied in orthopedics, as the materials of joint prosthesis, artificial ligaments, and sutures due to its advantages such as high tensile strength, good wear resistance, and chemical stability. However, postoperative osteolysis induced by UHMWPE wear particles and poor bone-implant healing interface due to scarcity of osseointegration ...