Abstract

More than one million people worldwide undergo total hip arthroplasty (THA) annually, and this number is expected to increase as the global population ages. Despite being a common and effective intervention for conditions such as osteoarthritis or traumatic injuries, THA may require surgical revision in an important number of cases due to tribological problems between the bearing surfaces. Adding textures to the surfaces in contact has garnered increased attention in the tribological community as a method to reduce friction and wear of bearing surfaces. Intentionally created dimples on either or both contacting surfaces can serve as lubricant reservoirs, enhance hydrodynamic lubrication, capture wear debris and/or reduce contact between the two bearing surfaces. Numerous studies have proven the efficacy of reducing friction when textured surfaces are used in metal pairs for various applications. However, the number of studies on ceramic-on-polyethylene surfaces, one of the most common pairs found in hip replacement, is particularly limited, especially when considering the texturing of the softer surface. In this study, the tribological behavior of different laser textured polyethylene surfaces are investigated against ceramic. Friction and wear properties of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) blocks textured with different texture densities are studied against alumina (Al2O3) balls using a ball-on-flat reciprocating tribometer under lubricated conditions. Results show a decrease in friction and wear as the texture density decreased.

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