Archival Institutions Research Articles

Gestão de riscos em arquivos proposição de um método para priorização de ações para o impedimento da perda do patrimônio documental

In view of the recurring disasters,that put archival collections at risk,and the complex nature of addressing this issue, especially given the limited financial resources allocated to these sectors, we propose a method to assist managers of archival institutions or sectors in prioritizing actions to prevent the loss of documentary heritage and institutional memory. We utilized the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) multicriteria method in conjunction with the integrated Fine-Mosler model to develop this method. The proposed approach is exemplified through the central archives of two public agencies. Our results demonstrate that this method is an effective tool for defining the order of priorities for preservation actions that must be taken for archival collections.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BIPA LEARNING MANAGEMENT AT UIN RADEN MAS SAID SURAKARTA AFTER THE REGULATION OF KEPDIRJEPENDIS NUMBER 6244 OF 2019

BIPA at UIN Raden Mas Said Surakarta develops Indonesian language skills for foreign students to be able to communicate well, politely, and fluently with Indonesian people; and have Islamic knowledge. This research aims to: (1) describe the implementation management of BIPA learning; and (2) to describe the implementing constraints for KEPDIRJENPENDIS Number 6244 of 2019. The research data collection technique was documentation of KAK, a certificate template, and a lecture journal. BIPA learning was explored through in-depth interviews covering preparation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Since 2006, it has had planning, organizing, implementing, and supervising learning as KEPDIRJENPENDIS Number 6244 of 2019. It emphasizes listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills using direct methods. Cultural insight emphasizes local wisdom; and Islamic insight emphasizes morality and Islamic celebrations (sekaten, Eid homecoming, and isra' mi'raj). Issues that should be concerned with it, namely: (a). the language matriculation implementation cannot be carried out on time because it has to align with existing lectures in the faculty environment of each foreign student; (b) the documentation of BIPA learning archives by BIPA organizers has not been organized as institutional archiving requirements; (c). The availability of educational buildings is still limited, so the availability of classrooms is also limited; (d). BIPA organizers have not been optimal in managing the test question bank, so it has the impression that they are only repeating existing questions without updating them. BIPA organizers do not yet have assessment standards set as a permanent reference in providing evaluations to foreign students.

Attempts of Lithuanian State Archive Institutions to Search for Archived Heritage Exported from Lithuania in the Past or Related to Lithuania

As archival institutions are operating under the conditions of globalization, digital culture, and technological changes, displaced archives are evaluated from various aspects (theoretical, sociopolitical, or technological). Ensuring the accessibility of displaced archives remains the fundamental goal of archives, which is inseparable from the strategies of document heritage accumulation (acquisition) in archives, the application of archival principles or document concepts, knowledge of the history of a country or a specific region, and knowledge of the legal system. The research and good practice of displaced archives is also of importance for the state archives of Lithuania. Professor Zigmantas Kiaupa discussed the efforts by archives in an attempt to recover documents illegally exported from Lithuania. However, searches for the archival heritage by the Lithuanian state archives after 1990 have not become the object of scientific publications.
 The article gives a review of the actions of the state archives system since 1990 which was aimed at identifying the documentary heritage related to Lithuania but preserved abroad. The focus of attention is on the creation of legal regulation, accumulation of documents, and information about the identified documents related to Lithuania and the further activities of state archives. Archival sources show that, since 1990, the identification of documents related to Lithuania and preserved abroad along with the activity of their storage in Lithuania is a continuous and consistent process, although the scope of this activity is not large, and only a few archives have been participating in its implementation. The review of the activity of the Office of the Chief Archivist of Lithuania and the state archives proves that international agreements or agreements of cooperation between two countries contribute to the establishment of close professional relationships, but it is not a prerequisite for the document search. It is more important to provide methodological assistance to those who have preserved the documents related to Lithuania (especially to Lithuanians living abroad) as well as to coordinate the activities related to document management, their description, digitization, and publication, as these activities require different competencies.
 The article concludes that the legislative regulation of Lithuania created legal opportunities for the state archives to make independent decisions regarding the strategy of collecting documents related to Lithuania and to be more actively involved in the activities of digital cultural heritage actualization. The state archives of Lithuania do not associate the accumulation of documentary heritage related to Lithuania only with the physical form of documents. The article argues that the accumulation of digital cultural objects and the dissemination of descriptive information in archives using several information retrieval tools further complicates the accessibility of information. This is why the accumulation of information and its provision to the user, based on the one-stop-shop principle, should be regarded as a priority.

Кадрове забезпечення Київського центрального архіву давніх актів (1921–1941) у світлі просопографії

The aim of the study is to reconstruct a collective portrait of employees of the Kyiv Central ArchiveS of Ancient Acts in 1921–1941 based on historiographical works and documents of the Central State Archives of the Supreme Bodies of Power and Government of Ukraine; the methodological basis of the work consists of general scientifi c (analysis, synthesis, deduction, induction, systematic approach) and special-historical (historical-genetic, historicalcomparative) methods and principles of historicism, subjectivism, optimization of the volume of information. The novelty of the work. In the article, for the fi rst time, we reconstruct the prosopographic portrait of the staff of the archival institution according to educational-scientifi c, gender, social and ethnic sections in the era of NEP and Stalin’s industrialization. The turning point in the history of the institution of this period was 1934, when, as a result of a total purge of personnel, the entire archive staff changed. Conclusions. It was found out that until 1934 most of the workers were Ukrainians and Russians. However, from the mid-1930s, signifi cant changes in the ethnic composition took place: along with Ukrainians and Russians, Jews began to be a signifi cant segment of the workforce. Their share among the archive employees correlates with the percentage of Jews among the intelligentsia of the Ukrainian SSR in the 1920s and 1930s. It was found that until 1934, the majority of the archive employees had a classical pre-revolutionary education – gymnasium – university, while in the second half of the decade, the majority of positions were held by persons who graduated from Soviet secondary and higher educational institutions. Signifi cant changes also took place in the social structure of the collective of archivists. Until 1934, the lion’s share of workers were people of non-proletarian origin from noble and bourgeois families. After the «cleaning», the majority came from the families of workers, artisans, civil servants, and peasants. It was observed, that over the course of 20 years, a gradual process of feminization of the collective took place, but women worked in less prestigious and lower-paid positions. As a result of purposeful state policy, the social portrait of the archive workers underwent a radical transformation in the direction of proletarianization.

Українська архівна наука у викликах війни та цифровізації інформаційних ресурсів архівів

The purpose of the article is to substantiate the change in the vision of Ukrainian archival science in the conditions of Russia’s war against Ukraine, to fi nd new approaches to the interpretation of the essence of the concept «archival science» and its Ukrainian component as an integrative and interdisciplinary scientifi c system of knowledge on the history, theory, methodology and practice of archival aff airs, its organizational, legal, management and informational principles. The specifi cs of the resistance of archival institutions to Russian narratives about «one people, common history and a single archival space» are clarifi ed, the ways of restructuring to the regime of martial law, protection of archival resources, accelerated digitization, development of electronic document circulation and electronic archival studies are highlighted. The research methodology is based on a systematic approach to the implementation of the integrative nature of scientifi c knowledge, adherence to the principles of historicism, comprehensiveness, continuity, the application of methods of forecasting and theoretical generalizations, archival, historical-problematic, historiographical, chronological, comparative, textological, functional, modeling, expert assessments. Scientifi c novelty is determined by the author’s interpretation of the leading trends in the development of archival science against the background of restoration of state independence of Ukraine, democratization of archival aff airs, European integration processes, increasing its role in the implementation of the Strategy for the Development of Archival Aff airs. Сonclusions and prospects for further research. The acquisitions of Ukrainian and foreign archival science over the past thirty years are summarized, bottlenecks and the most characteristic shortcomings and gaps in research topics, their organization, training of archivists and archivists are indicated. It has been proven that without further development of archival science, it is impossible to ensure an increase in the role of archives in the preservation of socio-cultural heritage and the prestige of the status of the archivist profession. A number of proposals regarding the further development of historical, theoretical, methodological and applied archival studies are outlined.

«Сирітські твори» як об’єкти авторського права: поняття, правовий режим використання (Продовження. Початок – у №2(231) за 2022 р.)

The purpose of the work is to study the legal regime for the use of «orphan works» in the European Union, Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. In order to achieve the goal, there is analyzed the basic regulatory legal act of EU copyright – Directive 2012/28/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on certain permitted uses of «orphan works», and the positive consequences of its provisions for ensuring a unifi ed approach to recognizing the legal status and legal certainty of the use of these works in within the EU, the peculiarities of its application in the legislation of Great Britain. The legal mechanisms of legalization of «orphan works» in Canada and the USA are also described. The European Integration Law of Ukraine «On Copyright and Related Rights» (№ 5552-1), adopted on December 1, 2022, aimed at harmonizing Ukrainian legislation in the fi eld of copyright and related rights with European legislation, which regulates the recognition of works and objects of related rights as «orphan works».The research methodology is based on the application of general scientifi c (historical, logical, systemic, structural-functional, logical-semantic) and special scientifi c (comparative legal, terminological analysis, source analysis and synthesis) methods. The scientifi c novelty, given the lack of research in Ukrainian archival studies of the mentioned topic, consists in the comprehensive coverage of the foreign experience of determining the legal status and establishing the legal regime for the use of «orphan works». In the conclusions, taking into account the transition of archival institutions to digital standards of activity, the World and European experience of law enforcement practice, the work of Ukrainian and foreign scientists, changes in legislation, it is recommended to prepare an appropriate regulatory document in cooperation with lawyers for the regulation of archival work with «orphan documents».

Content Features of Local History Resources of Libraries in the South of Ukraine

Due to the comprehensive use of information and communication technologies, there are changes in the information needs of local history content. The current audience’s readership demand encourages the expansion of information support, digitalisation of information, and an increase in local history content in the electronic segment. The aim of the article is to analyse the content of local history resources of libraries in the south of Ukraine and highlight the features of its formation to satisfy the readers’ needs. The research methodology includes the content monitoring of official websites, electronic libraries, and libraries’ weblogs of Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Odesa regions, as well as the review and analytical method of studying the existing theoretical heritage on the research topic. The scientific novelty is to highlight the features of the formation and diversity of content of electronic local history information resources with a focus on satisfying readers’ requests since users of local history documents have recently shown an increased interest in documents on the latest data carriers. Сonclusions define the role of local history electronic resources of libraries in the south of Ukraine in the region’s information space, as well as further prospects for their genesis and development. It is emphasised that one of the priority areas of local history activities of libraries in the formation of regional identity is the joint activity of library institutions with cultural, educational, research, archival institutions, community initiatives, and organisations. It is noted that the intensive development of digital library projects in combination with the study of local history information needs opens up additional ways to implement the tasks of libraries to ensure wide access of users to unique local history content resources and play an extremely important role in the information space of the region. The article offers suggestions for improving the digital content of local history in combination with the study of local history information needs.

Regulatory and Legal Support for Information Technologies Implementation in the Archival Institutions Activity of Ukraine

The aim of the article is to analyse the blighty regulatory and legal basis for information technologies implementation in the archival institutions activity. The methodological basis of the article forms a set of general scientific and special methods of scientific research. The normative approach is used, as well as methods of analysis, source research, structural and functional method, descriptive method. The scientific novelty is in the statement of the fact of democratic access to information resources of the National Archival Fund of Ukraine, because nowadays the freedom of access to archival documents has significantly expanded; archives opened their funds to all visitors; in most cases, now one can use archival information without leaving home 24/7; the individual user’s interests are in priority. Conclusions. Streamlining the legal basis for the fastest and widest information technologies implementation in the archival industry of the country is a complex and extremely urgent task that requires constant attention and intense efforts, both rule makers and leading experts in this field who are knowledgeable in problematic issues. In the near future, the priority tasks should be: 1) digitisation of all processes in the state archive work, office management, and state system of insurance documentation; 2) organisation of forming and ensuring guaranteed preservation of documents in the National Archival Fund of Ukraine as a component of blighty and world cultural heritage, and information resources of society; 3) popularisation of archival work through the wide highlighting of archival documents to memorable and anniversary dates, significant events in the history of Ukraine; 4) ensuring the realisation of state policy in the field of creation and effective functioning of the state system of insurance documents fund.

Персональный состав Академии наук XVIII – первой трети XX века в документальных источниках Санкт-Петербургского филиала Архива РАН

This paper explores the chronicles and documents of St. Petersburg Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SPbA RAS) that contain information about the staff of academic institutions of the 18th – first third of the 20th century. Conducted at SPbA RAS, the research included the study of documents from the personal archives of academicians, prominent scientists and stakeholders in science, and resulted in a number of published biographies of these scientists (the work in progress). The study of personnel documents from the archives of academic institutions helped to reconstruct the staff lists of some of these institutions, uncover hundreds of ordinary scholars and researchers and publish some previously unknown scientific biographies. Concerning temporary academic and technical staff, the most fruitful was the Archive No. 4 with the documents of the Committee of the Board of the Academy of Sciences, Administration of Affairs of the Academy of Sciences; Administration & Maintenance Department of Leningrad Institutions of the Academy of Sciences. Here, for the 18th–19th centuries, the key source were the staff records, for the Soviet pre-war period – the extensive staff file (ca. 12,000 cards). The details of the academic staff are now entered in the e-database of SPbA RAS, which currently includes information about more than 39,000 persons (http://ranar.spb.ru/persons).

On the Edge of Meshchera. History of Forest Roads. Some Facts about the History of Construction of Railway Lines Krivandino–Ryazanovka and Sazonovo–Pilevo. Part 1

The article, based on the archives and other never published materials, discusses the history of design and construction of Krivandino–Ryazanovka and Sazonovo–Pilevo railway lines, which belonged to Moscow–Ryazan branch of Moscow railway. The objective of writing the article is to clarify the circumstances of design, construction and operation of these lines, as well as to identify the reasons that led to their decline and closure in the mid-2000s. To achieve this objective, well-known publications in the press and the Internet were analyzed. In addition to using data from these sources, work was carried out to search for written sources on the issue under study in archival institutions in Moscow. Some documents are published for the first time. he result of all the work carried out was establishment of the following previously unknown or questioned facts: Krivandino–Ryazanovka railway line was built in 1943–1944, Sazonovo–Ryazanovka section was built later than the rest of the line. The purpose of Krivandino–Ryazanovka line according to the project and in the first years of its existence was transportation of firewood for heating of Moscow. The date of acceptance of Sazonovo–Pilevo line in full for servicing Kurovskaya distance of the track is January 1, 1978. From the northern neck of Pilevo station, the access road went to the construction yard of Meshcherskoye peat enterprise. According to Kurovskaya distance of the track, the broad gauge transshipment station of Meshcherskoye peat enterprise was called Torfyanaya.The first part of the paper. The second part is scheduled for the next issue.

Active Preservation at The Record Center of Padjadjaran University as a Steps to Extend The Life of The Archives

Archives are important documents that function in administrative, legal, financial, organizational, historical, directive, and information functions in the realm of government. The importance of archives to be stored, preserved, and maintained is one of the reasons for writing this article. This paper describes the types of archives and the active preservation actions taken against conventional archives in the form of image sheet archives and photo archives carried out by the UPT Arsip (Record Center) Universitas Padjadjaran. This active preservation action is carried out as an effort to extend the life of archives or collections from archival institutions. The location of this research is at UPT Archives (Recording Center) Universitas Padjadjaran. This research was conducted by conducting direct observations at the UPT Archives (Record Center) Universitas Padjadjaran and conducting interviews. The research method was carried out using a qualitative descriptive method, namely by explaining the active preservation actions carried out by the UPT Archives (Recording Center) Universitas Padjadjaran. The actions taken by the UPT Arsip (Record Center) Universitas Padjadjaran are to maintain the temperature of the archives by coating the photos with tissue on each sheet and also cleaning the archives from dust. Files are also stored according to file type in roll o'packs, racks, or boxes to avoid damage to records due to dust. This article also discusses the lack of preservation efforts made by the UPT Archives (Record Center) Universitas Padjadjaran such as the amount of ventilation in the room which increases dust capacity.

Prevalence of Impacted Teeth in a South Indian Population using Cone Beam Computed Tomography: A Retrospective Study

Localisation of impacted teeth is essential for surgical and orthodontic management. The study objective was to evaluate the prevalence and type of tooth impaction in the jaws using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). The CBCT records of subjects between 2018 and 2020 were retrieved from our institution archives and examined by two oral radiologists. A total of 760 CBCT scans were evaluated, of which 140 (18.4%) scans had impacted teeth. From the 140 CBCT scans, 216 impacted teeth were identified. Maximum impactions were in the age group of 21–30 years. Third molars were the most commonly impacted teeth (66.2%), followed by canines (23.6%), supernumerary teeth (4.6%), premolars (3.2%), incisors (1.4%), and second molars (0.9%). Among the impacted canines, 53% were buccally impacted, 43% were palatally impacted and other impactions were 4%. Among the third molars, mesioangular impactions were the most frequent (41.2%), followed by horizontal (28%), vertical (16.7%) and distoangular impaction (4.1%). The most frequently impacted teeth were the third molars, followed by canines. Canine impactions were more frequent in the maxilla, while third molar impactions were thrice as common in the mandible compared to the maxilla. Mesioangular third molar impactions were the commonest, followed by horizontal, vertical and distoangular.

Majlis Agama Islam dan Adat Istiadat Melayu Kelantan (MAIK) and Modernisation of Malay Education, 1917-1957

This article examines the Majlis Agama Islam dan Adat Istiadat Melayu Kelantan (MAIK) administration of Malay schools in the state of Kelantan from 1917 until the end of British colonial rule in 1957. This involvement is examined through two of its schools, the Maahad Muhammadi (Malay) for boys and Maahad Muhammadi (Malay) for girls. The establishment of MAIK Malay schools is a testament to its professed aims of looking after local welfare, which was not given any attention under British colonial rule. MAIK had faced a myriad of challenges in its administration of Malay schools, whether from within its administration or from outside, especially from Malay schools that were under British control. Based on the qualitative method that involved the perusal of primary documents such as MAIK files, MAIK annual reports, journal Pengasuh and British annual reports on Kelantan from the National Archives of Malaysia and other institutions, this study has found that the British neglect of Malay education has made MAIK indispensable as the organisation responsible for religious affairs and defending local customs in the formal education sector of the state. With this heavy responsibility, MAIK, specifically through its Malay schools, has provided both secular and religious education in schools under its jurisdiction. MAIK’s strategy and improvisations have ensured its schools’ continuity despite competition from the Malay education provided by the colonial government. Through its organisational dynamism, MAIK has enabled itself to be involved in the planning and transformation of primary education in Kelantan from 1917 until 1957.

THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY HISTORIES OF ACTIVE AGING IN POLAND

Abstract In contemporary Poland, Universities of the Third Age are the most visible institutional forms of active aging. These lifelong-learning institutions that are specifically for retirees often cultivate ideals of independence through workshops and classes that teach new, and potentially transformative, skills and hobbies (Kobylarek, 2018). Universities of the Third Age in Poland emerged out of the fields of andragogy, pedagogy, and social work, fields that have regional intellectual roots in the late 19th/early 20th-century presocialist era, and are based on radically different ideals of personhood, relationality, and care than those of the contemporary postsocialist neoliberal era (Robbins, 2021). This paper analyzes 1) historical data from institutional archives of two Universities of the Third Age in Poland, and 2) secondary sources on histories of andragogy, pedagogy, and social work, to create a locally grounded intellectual history of active aging in central and eastern Europe. The Polish case offers an opportunity to think across divergent political-economic eras, in which assumptions about the value of a person to society have shifted. By tracing how the fields of andragogy, pedagogy, and social work have shaped active aging in Poland, this paper finds that 1) dichotomies of East/West, socialist/capitalist, and individual/collective are insufficient to explain the history of contemporary practices of active aging, and 2) intellectual history can reveal complex relations between political-economic change, and ideals and practices of aging. These findings have implications for advancing gerontological theories of 1) active aging in cross-cultural contexts, and 2) how active aging relates to sociopolitical change.

Eric J. Miller memorial lecture—his legacy

In the group relations/Tavistock milieu Eric Miller comes as close to an icon as social scientists and psychoanalysts can tolerate ... most of you will know him from his prolific writing and might have learnt, through his books, about his life-long concern with the paradox of being a human. Those of us fortunate to have known him personally, would recognise his many humanly contradictions. A man of few spoken words, he had mastered the study of phenomena, and I believe touched people so deeply because of his ability to simply be with people without memory or desire in the fully Bionian sense. In this twentieth anniversary of his death, this memorial lecture is a memoir of Eric, as I remember him from the many teas in the Khaleelee–Miller conservatory, when I came for supervision meetings, from group relations conferences and—applying some poetic licence—from putting together pieces of others' memories of him as they were willing to share them and his field notes as preserved in the Tavistock Institute's archive at the Wellcome Library.

Preservation of Digital Archives

Background of the study: Digital archives in institutions or organizations has increased which is marked by the number of institutions that have established archive units. In the process of preservation or preservation of digital archives, it has its own difficulties compared to other media. Preservation is the most strategic activity, because the availability of records is closely related to the acquisition results that are maintained properly so that they can be processed and accessed for users. The implementation of archive preservation is not easy, there are several obstacles that cause the preservation to be less than optimal. Purpose: This study aims to provide knowledge about the preservation of digital archives as an effort to save important information and data in archives, it requires preservation or preserving archives in digital format. So that further research is needed, so this research is to facilitate researchers in conducting further research. Method: This study uses a systematic literature review method by combining bibliometric analysis of the literature from the Scopus database for the period 2018 to 2022. Findings: The results of the study show that preservation is an effort to maintain and store archives, both content or media so that they are durable and longer. Conclusion: Research topics in the search results regarding the preservation of digital archives are still found that have not been widely studied, namely, data preservation, long-term preservation, digital archives, and web archives, which can provide opportunities for further researchers to examine digital archive preservation

The Implementation of Covid-19 Archives Preservation in College

Background of the study: Circular Letter No. 62 of 2020 concerning the Preservation of Covid-19 handling archives is a public policy that needs to be implemented by State Universities as part of government agencies. Purpose: This study aims to explore efforts to implement policies to preserve the records of Covid-19 handling at university and understand the challenges it faces as university that does not have its own Archive yet. Method: This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study method. There are three informants selected through the purposive sampling method. Informants were selected based on the following criteria: 1) has mandatory duties in archival activities and 2) positioned as an archivist. Research data obtained through interviews and documentation studies Findings: The university efforts in preserving Covid-19 handling archives are carrying out internal communication to preserve archives within the General, increasing archivists’ competencies and knowledge, and conducting from preparation to Covid-19 archives assessment. Related efforts in the organizational structure have not been made because this process takes a long time. The challenges arise from the lack of human resources in every unit of PTN X and the absence of an archival institution which makes it difficult to implement implementation in all units of university Conclusion: The university has made efforts to preserve the handling of Covid-19 within the smaller scope, the General Bureau. For a wider scope, the implementation has not been carried out due to lack of human resources and the absence of university Archive owned by university. Keywords: archives preservation, Covid-19 archives, public policy, university archives

The role of historians in guiding archivists to open up collections and promoting access to archives in South Africa

Research reveals the dwindling number of people consulting archival sources in East and Southern Africa. This is a serious concern, particularly in South Africa, as there is a danger that archives services could follow the same path as the Seattle office of the US National Archives, which closed in January 2020. Many scholars support the notion of opening the archives and their respective collections more expansively and allowing archives to be spaces for the people. Such scholars advocate for open access and transparency by archival institutions indicating that archival practices should be transformed to reflect the history of a nation and the respective communities. All voices should be heard, recorded, remembered and be made accessible to a broad spectrum of users.This paper will unpack several South African narratives that should be opened for public viewing and discussion as well as endeavours to ensure that youth develop an interest and appreciation for archival sources and aspects relating to heritage. This paper is based on a model based on the experience shared by a scholar from India, whose experiences involved a project of re-writing school history textbooks which had been dominated by communal and colonial stereotypes. Several examples have been sourced from different archival institutions in the United States in efforts to bring archives closer to the people and for the inclusion of archival artefacts and resources to be incorporated into teaching and learning activities.It is contended that similar models need to be developed to bring archives closer to the people, allow archives institutions to share their collections and ensure the sustainability of archival institutions and the role historians can play in the achievement of this objective.

Review: Building with Paper: The Materiality of Renaissance Architectural Drawings

Review: <i>Building with Paper: The Materiality of Renaissance Architectural Drawings</i>

Oxidation in Retrieved, Never-Irradiated UHMWPE Bearings: What Can We Learn About in Vivo Oxidation?

Published analyses of never-irradiated, ethylene oxide (EtO)-sterilized tibial inserts and EtO- and gas plasma (GP)-sterilized acetabular ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) retrievals demonstrated minimal UHMWPE in vivo oxidation, whereas another analysis of EtO-sterilized acetabular liners found elevated oxidation linked with in vivo stresses. This study explored whether never-irradiated UHMWPE bearings are (1) oxidized by the in vivo environment, and (2) more likely to oxidize in higher-stress articulations (knee, ankle, shoulder). An institutional review board-approved retrieval archive was queried for never-irradiated, EtO- and GP-sterilized UHMWPE bearings received at revision from 2001 to 2021. A total of 193 EtO-sterilized and 112 GP-sterilized conventional UHMWPE retrievals were analyzed (0 to 25 years in vivo; 133 hip, 144 knee, 18 ankle, and 10 shoulder). Retrieved implants were evaluated for in vivo damage and analyzed for trans-vinylene and ketone content by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Twelve never-implanted EtO-sterilized tibial knee inserts, (shelf-aged 5 to 19 years) were non-oxidized controls. Mechanical properties of 3 never-implanted and 3 retrieved tibial inserts were evaluated by ASTM Type-V uniaxial tensile testing. Statistical analyses evaluated correlations between time in vivo and oxidation, and compared mean oxidation rates by articulation. Burnishing was the most common clinical damage for all articulations. Eight retrievals exhibited oxidation-related fatigue damage. All retrievals were validated as never-irradiated (median trans-vinylene index [TVI] = 0.000). Maximum ketone oxidation in retrievals correlated with in vivo time (p < 0.001). Thirty-seven percent of retrievals exhibited UHMWPE (subsurface) oxidation, most frequently ankle, knee, and glenoid inserts. Tensile properties differed between retrieved and never-implanted inserts, changing with oxidation. The oxidation rate differed significantly among the articulations (p < 0.001). This study cohort confirmed the presence of in vivo oxidation in some non-irradiation-sterilized UHMWPE bearings, with higher-stress articulations (knee, ankle, shoulder) showing evidence of oxidation more frequently and having significantly higher oxidation rates than hips. Mechanical properties degraded by oxidation led to fatigue damage in 8 retrievals after a long duration in vivo. Conventional EtO- or GP-sterilized UHMWPE bearings are at minimal risk for fatigue damage secondary to oxidation. However, higher stresses and longer time in vivo (more cycles of use) can lead to increased wear, oxidation, and fatigue damage.