The influence of phospholipid concentration in protein-containing lubricants on the wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene in artificial hip joints

Abstract There is considerable interest in the wear of polyethylene and the resulting wear-debrisinduced osteolysis in artificial hip joints. Proteins play an important role as boundary lubricants in vivo in the pseudosynovial fluid, and these are reproduced in in vitro tests through the use of bovi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part H, Journal of engineering in medicine Journal of engineering in medicine, 2001-01, Vol.215 (2), p.259-263
Main Authors: Bell, J, Tipper, J L, Ingham, E, Stone, M H, Fisher, J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Hip Prosthesis - adverse effects
Lubricants
Lubrication
Materials Testing
Medical sciences
Molecular weight
Osteolysis - etiology
Phospholipids
Phospholipids - analysis
Polyethylenes
Polyethylenes - analysis
Prosthesis Failure
Proteins
Proteins - analysis
Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects)
Technology. Biomaterials. Equipments. Material. Instrumentation
United Kingdom
Wear of materials
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract There is considerable interest in the wear of polyethylene and the resulting wear-debrisinduced osteolysis in artificial hip joints. Proteins play an important role as boundary lubricants in vivo in the pseudosynovial fluid, and these are reproduced in in vitro tests through the use of bovine serum. Little is known, however, about the effect of phospholipid concentrations within proteinaceous solutions on the wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). The effects of protein-containing lubricants with 0.05, 0.5 and 5 per cent (w/v) phosphatidyl choline concentrations on the wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were compared with 25 per cent (v/v) bovine serum which had 0.01 per cent (w/v) lipid; the effects were compared in a hip joint simulator with smooth (n = 4) and scratched (n = 3) femoral heads. The control bovine serum lubricant produced UHWMPE wear of 55 and 115mm3/106 cycles on the smooth and rough heads respectively. The increased phospholipid concentration significantly reduced the wear rate. At the higher concentration (5% w/v phosphatidyl choline) the average wear was reduced to less than 2 mm3/106 cycles. Even with the relatively low concentrations of 0.05% w/v phosphatidyl choline the wear was reduced by at least threefold compared with the bovine serum tests for both the smooth and rough femoral heads. There may be considerable differences in the phospholipid concentrations in patients' synovial fluid and this is highly likely to produce considerable variation in wear rates. In vitro, differences in the phospholipid concentration of lubricants may also cause variation in wear rates between different simulator tests.
ISSN:0954-4119
2041-3033
DOI:10.1243/0954411011533661