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Article: Highly Crosslinked Polyethylenes in Hip Replacements: Improved Wear Performance or Paradox?
- Article from:
- Tribology Transactions
- Article date:
- April 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Apr-Jun 2007. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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The lubrication and wear of artificial joints are important issues for their longevity. Bone loss caused by the biological response (osteolysis) to the wear debris leads to implant loosening and eventual failure of the device. Various studies have shown that the size, shape, and the number of particles are important factors in the osteolytic response to wear debris. It has been demonstrated that both submicron-size particles and long fibrils can stimulate macrophage responses. This paper examines the clinical and laboratory data on highly crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) regarding implant wear and particulate debris. In simulator studies, total hip replacements have shown greatly reduced ...