Research Project
2006675
Wear of joint implants is a continuous, inexorable process that is exacerbated by improved patient function and high activity levels. One of the objectives of modem implant selection should be to optimize the elements of design and materials that minimize the generation of wear debris, thereby adding to the longevity of the implant. It is the aim of this Phase I project to optimize the wear characteristics of hip joint replacements by depositing a diamond-like carbon coating on the femoral head and using a new ceramic particle reinforced polyethylene composite materials for the acetabular cup. Baseline testing of these material combinations will be performed by Loma Linda University using a 9/9 hip simulator. Following these screening trials which will last 1,000,000 cycles, the more extensive testing will be conducted in extended trials of 4,000,000 cycles duration. Wear will be measured gravimetrically and characterized by collecting the lubricating serum and analyzing it for wear particles. It is expected that these diamond-like carbon coatings and the reinforced UHMWPE cups will show substantially increased wear resistance compared to the conventional control specimens and enable increased lifetimes for total hip joint replacements. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: Direct commercial applications of this research are as performance enhancing wear coatings for the femoral head and acetabular cup of total hip joint replacements. Indirectly, this coating technology will find application in many other tribo-medical applications.
