An in vitro wear study of alumina—alumina total hip prostheses

Abstract

Abstract

Four 28 mm diameter alumina-alumina hip prostheses were tested in the MkII Durham hip simulator for 5 × 10⁶ cycles using 25 per cent bovine serum as lubricant. Wear of the heads and cups was measured gravimetrically. The mean and standard deviation of the wear rate for the alumina cups was 0.097 ± 0.039 mm³/10⁶ cycles. The femoral heads produced such low wear that it could not be measured by weighing but could be detected by increased surface roughness measurements. Such low wear rates represent about one-five-hundredth of the wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) against ceramic in a similar test and supports work which indicates that fluid film lubrication exists in these joints.