Wear Failure Analysis of UHMWPE Acetabular Cups in THR

Abstract

The UHMWPE acetabular cups are the most popular joints for joint prostheses after Charnley introduced UHMWPE for the acetabular component in 1962. It has been demonstrated that polyethylene wear remains the main source of particles in the THR and therefore requires particular attention. The paper presents a series of theoretical and practical aspects regarding the wear of acetabular cups (made of UHMWPE) from the total hip prosthesis component. At the same time, the other tribological phenomena that occur in these MoP (metal on polyethylene) combinations are treated, such as lubrication and friction. Total Hip Replacement & Hip Resurfacing A hip replacement involves replacing the hip joint with a mechanical bearing system which is comprised of a femoral component and an acetabular component. During a hip replacement the acetabulum is reamed and the acetabular component is fitted into the cavity and the femoral component can either be placed over a reamed femoral head, in a procedure referred to as hip resurfacing, or positioned inside the femoral shaft during a total hip replacement [1]. Fig. 1. Total Hip Replacement (a) and Hip Resurfacing Replacement (b) [2].