Tibial high-density polyethylene wear in conforming tibiofemoral prostheses
- 1 July 1993
- journal article
- Published by British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British volume
- Vol. 75-B (4) , 630-636
- https://doi.org/10.1302/0301-620x.75b4.8331121
Abstract
We have studied 27 tibial prostheses retrieved from knee replacements after 1 to 9 years. In 22 the femoral components were of cobalt-chrome, in five polyacetal. The design of the components gave a nominal contact area of 320 mm2 on each condyle. The tibial component was of high-density polyethylene (HDP) at least 6 mm thick, and not heat-treated. In the metal/HDP prostheses the average wear rate was 0.025 mm/year. The relative wear on the medial and lateral sides was related to the leg axis. None of the retrieved prostheses showed any severe disruption of their surface. The polyacetal/HDP prostheses showed similar wear with a statistically insignificant trend towards slower penetration. We conclude that the rate of wear of HDP in a conforming tibiofemoral bearing with a fixed tibial component at least 6 mm thick and not heat-treated is slow enough to be safe in clinical practice.Keywords
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