Clinical applications of UHMWPE in joint implants

Abstract

Artificial joint implants have been widely applied in clinical surgery of joint replacement for those patients whose natural joints suffer from trauma, disease, or overuse. Typical artificial joints consist of a metallic component integrated with bone and a polymer component that facilitates movement. The requirements for the polymer include biocompatibility, toughness, wear resistance, lubrication, etc. Over the past 50 years, ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been used to fabricate artificial hips, knees, shoulders, and other joints. In this chapter, a historical development of artificial joint implants for arthroplasty is briefly reviewed. The fundamental physicochemical properties and processing of UHMWPE are summarized to demonstrate its superiority in the application of artificial joint implants. In view of clinical outcomes, main challenges of conventional UHMWPE joint implants are finally discussed, such as oxidation degradation, sterilization, wear, and debris.