Polyethylene wear simulation models applied to a prosthetic hip joint based on unidirectional articulations.

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is commonly used as soft-bearing material in total joint replacements. However, the release of polymeric wear debris is still related to complications leading to aseptic loosening. Recently, a novel hip prosthesis showing reduced wear was developed by the authors of this study, consisting of unidirectional cylindrical articulations instead of the conventional multidirectional ball-and-socket design. This study evaluates four different theoretical wear models applied to this new design. The calculated volumetric wear was compared to experimental results. Although all models provided a good indication of the wear rates for the ball-and-socket prosthesis, they exhibited high discrepancies when predicting the amount of wear of the new unidirectional design. It was observed that the closest agreement with experimental results was obtained by the models that consider the friction-induced molecular orientation phenomenon exhibited by UHMWPE.

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Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Donald Dalli, Pierluigi Mollicone, Joseph Buhagiar, and Pierre Schembri Wismayer are inventors in the patent “A PROSTHETIC IMPLANT” (WIPO, 202217003814), licensed to Garland Surgical Ltd, in which they also have a financial interest. The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest.