Electron-beam Cross-linking and Melting of UHMWPE for Hip and Knee Replacements

摘要

Wear and damage of polyethylene are the leading causes of in vivo failure of total hip and total knee arthroplasty. Increasing the resistance of polyethylene to wear and damage has been possible by radiation crosslinking and subsequent melting. Crosslinking improves the wear resistance of this polymer, while post-irradiation melting improves the long term oxidative stability, which is the primary precursor to polyethylene damage in vivo.