Figure 7.
UHMWPE debris particles collected from the experimental apparatus following articulation. (a) Particles generated by a scratched surface were typically orders larger than the most biologically reactive submicron debris. Here, a particle of crosslinked UHMWPE is presented, produced by a scratch orientation of 5°. (b) A smooth articulation couple produced debris that were of submicron- or micron-order size, similar to the overwhelming volumetric fraction of particles found in tissues surrounding an implanted total joint in vivo. Further details regarding the relationships between local stress fields and sliding parameters are reported elsewhere26.