A machine for the preliminary investigation of design features influencing the wear behaviour of knee prostheses

T. M. McGloughlin, D. M. Murphy, A. G. Kavanagh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Degradation of tibial inserts in vivo has been found to be multifactorial in nature, resulting in a complex interaction of many variables. A range of kinematic conditions occurs at the tibio-femoral interface, giving rise to various degrees of rolling and sliding at this interface. The movement of the tibio-femoral contact point may be an influential factor in the overall wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) tibial components. As part of this study a three-station wear-test machine was designed and built to investigate the influence of rolling and sliding on the wear behaviour of specific design aspects of contemporary knee prostheses. Using the machine, it is possible to monitor the effect of various slide-roll ratios on the performance of contemporary bearing designs from a geometrical and materials perspective.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)51-62
Number of pages12
JournalProceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine
Volume218
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2004

Keywords

  • Total joint replacement
  • Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)
  • Wear debris
  • Wear-test machine

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