Is the wear factor in total joint replacements dependent on the nominal contact stress in ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene contacts?

Vassiliou, K.; Unsworth, A.

Abstract

The exact dependence of wear factor on contact stress, load and apparent contact area is much disputed in the literature. This study attempts to solve this dispute. Pin-on-plate studies of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene against stainless steel were conducted under different combinations of load (33-250 N), nominal stress (0.56-12.73 MPa) and face diameter, as well as two tests where both stress and load were kept constant, while the diameter was changed. For these tests the centre of the pin face was bored out to create four different average pin diameters with similar face areas. Diameter and load were found to have no significant effect on the wear factor, while the wear factor decreased with increasing contact stress according to the relation K = 2 x 10-6σ-0.84.

Citation

Vassiliou, K., & Unsworth, A. (2004). Is the wear factor in total joint replacements dependent on the nominal contact stress in ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene contacts?. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine, 218(2), 101-107. https://doi.org/10.1243/095441104322983997

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2004-03
• Deposit Date: Apr 23, 2008
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 15, 2010
• Journal: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine
• Print ISSN: 0954-4119
• Electronic ISSN: 2041-3033
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 218
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 101-107
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1243/095441104322983997
• Keywords: Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene wear, Load, Pin-on-plate set-up.
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1562212
• Publisher URL: http://journals.pepublishing.com/(ppeq53yuvytzb2nukmiszsaa)/app/home/contribution.asp?referrer=parent&backto=issue,2,6;journal,14,57;linkingpublicationresults,1:119779,1