Micro X-Ray Computed Tomography Mass Loss Assessment of Different UHMWPE: A Hip Joint Simulator Study on Standard vs. Cross-Linked Polyethylene

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 12; no. 1; p. e0170263
• Main Authors: Affatato, Saverio, Zanini, Filippo, Carmignato, Simone
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 20.01.2017; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Acetabular components; Acetabulum; Analysis; Arthroplasty (hip); Biocompatibility; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomedical materials; CAT scans; Chemical properties; Computation; Computed tomography; Computer simulation; Cross-linked polyethylene; Cross-Linking Reagents - chemistry; Gravimetry; Hip; Hip joint; Hip Joint - diagnostic imaging; Humans; Joint surgery; Linings; Medicine and Health Sciences; Methods; Osteolysis; Pain; Physical Sciences; Polyethylene; Polyethylene - chemistry; Polyethylenes - chemistry; Polymer crosslinking; Research and Analysis Methods; Surgical implants; Tocopherol; Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene; Vitamin E; Wear; X-Ray Microtomography - methods; United States
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170263

More than 60.000 hip arthroplasty are performed every year in Italy. Although Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight-Polyethylene remains the most used material as acetabular cup, wear of this material induces over time in vivo a foreign-body response and consequently osteolysis, pain, and the need of implant revision. Furthermore, oxidative wear of the polyethylene provoke several and severe failures. To solve these problems, highly cross-linked polyethylene and Vitamin-E-stabilized polyethylene were introduced in the last years. In in vitro experiments, various efforts have been made to compare the wear behavior of standard PE and vitamin-E infused liners. In this study we compared the in vitro wear behavior of two different configurations of cross-linked polyethylene (with and without the add of Vitamin E) vs. the standard polyethylene acetabular cups. The aim of the present study was to validate a micro X-ray computed tomography technique to assess the wear of different commercially available, polyethylene's acetabular cups after wear simulation; in particular, the gravimetric method was used to provide reference wear values. The agreement between the two methods is documented in this paper.