The Journal of Arthroplasty
Volume 19, Issue 4 , Pages 402-413, June 2004

Edge loading in third generation alumina ceramic-on-ceramic bearings:

Stripe wear1

Presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting, New Orleans, February 2003; paper No. 278.

  • William L Walter, MBBS

      Affiliations

    • Sydney Northside Hip & Knee Surgeons, Waverton, New South Wales, Australia
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: William L. Walter, MBBS, Sydney Northside Hip & Knee Surgeons, Level 3, 100 Bay Road, Waverton, NSW 2060 Australia
    • ,
  • Gerard M Insley, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Scientific Affairs, Stryker Howmedica Osteonics, Limerick, Ireland
    • ,
  • William K Walter, MBBS

      Affiliations

    • Sydney Northside Hip & Knee Surgeons, Waverton, New South Wales, Australia
    • ,
  • Michael A Tuke, HNC, ME

      Affiliations

    • Finsbury Instruments, Surrey, United Kingdom UK

Received 31 January 2003; accepted 29 September 2003.

Abstract 

Alumina ceramic-on-ceramic bearings perform exceptionally well under standard hip simulator conditions, but in vivo some retrieved bearings have shown an unusual stripe pattern of wear. We studied 16 bearings retrieved from a series of 1,588 cementless hip arthroplasties with third generation alumina ceramic-on-ceramic bearings to characterize the mechanism of stripe wear formation. None of these bearings were retrieved for bearing failure. The average wear volume was 0.4 mm3 per year in the heads and 0.3 mm3 per year in the liners. Mapping of wear stripes on the heads and liners showed that the majority do not occur with normal walking; instead they probably occur with edge loading when the hip is flexed, such as with rising from a chair or with climbing a high step.

Keywords:  alumina ceramic, stripe wear, hip

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  • 1 Benefits or funds were received in partial or total support of the research material described in this article from Stryker International, Newbury, United Kingdom and Finsbury Instruments, Surrey, United Kingdom.

PII: S0883-5403(04)00066-X

doi:10.1016/j.arth.2003.09.018

The Journal of Arthroplasty
Volume 19, Issue 4 , Pages 402-413, June 2004

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