Implant wear mechanisms—basic approach

Numerous parameters control the long-term performance of a total hip joint arthroplasty. The articulating motions between the femoral and the acetabular components produce wear debris in a hip implant. Surface roughness, clearance, coefficient of friction and sliding distance are found to be contributing parameters that affect wear rates. Wear produced in a hip implant leads to the loosening of a hip prosthesis and thus failure of the hip implant. Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been successfully used as an acetabular weight bearing component in the THR applications. Cross-linked UHMWPE was found to improve the lifespan of an artificial hip. A gradient cross-linking of UHMWPE has been observed to be a recent development in implant bearing materials. During in vitro studies, gradient cross-linked UHMWPE showed nearly undetectable wear rates.