The prevalent cause of implant failure after total hip replacement (THR) is aseptic loosening caused by wear debris, i.e. mainly particles from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Bone resorption at the implant adjacent area occurs due to the access of these particles to the periprosthetic tissue where they lead to inflammatory reactions. Therefore, improvement of the wear behaviour of the articulating bearing and reduction of wear debris between the UHMWPE liner and the femoral head is essential for increased life expectancy of artificial hip joints. Cross-linking of the UHMWPE material is one attempt to reduce wear particle release at the articulating surface. For several years, various cross-linked polyethylene (X-PE) materials have been used in THR. Different in vitro simulator tests demonstrate the wear reduction using X-PE, and first clinical outcome studies show promising results.
CITATION STYLE
Zietz, C., Fritsche, A., Middelborg, L., Mittelmeier, W., & Bader, R. (2013). In vitro wear testing of conventional versus sequentially cross-linked polyethylene liners in combination with different sizes of ceramic femoral heads. In Total Hip Arthroplasty: Wear Behaviour of Different Articulations (pp. 33–39). Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27361-2_4
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