An Analysis of Polyethylene Thickness in Modular Total Knee Components

Polyethylene wear has become an important consideration in total knee arthroplasty. The actual polyethylene thickness of modular tibial components is not widely known and may be critical to long-term survival of implants. The actual polyethylene thickness of eight widely used tibial components was measured and found to vary significantly among manufacturers, even though the combined thickness of metal tray and polyethylene was similar. No component met current recommendations for minimum polyethylene thickness.