ADVANCES IN SIMULATOR TESTING OF ORTHOPAEDIC JOINT PROSTHESES

摘要

This paper reports on recent advances in hip joint simulator wear testing which incorporate joint laxity and micro-separation/subluxation of the bearing surfaces into the swing phase of the walking cycle. Under these microseparation conditions the wear of ceramic on ceramic and metal on metal bearings increased by 4 and 25 times respectively, compared to conventional simulation. In contrast, the wear of ceramic on UHMWPE bearings decreased by 4 times possibly due to enhanced squeeze film lubrication brought about by the joint separation. The results show that microseparation simulator wear testing can reproduce clinically relevant wear rates, wear mechanisms and wear debris for hip prostheses.