Currently, an artificial hip joint can be expected to last, on average, in excess of 15 years with failure due, in the majority of cases, to late aseptic loosening of the acetabular component. A realistic alternative to the problem of wear in conventional joints is the introduction of bearing surfaces that exhibit low wear and operate in the full fluid-film lubrication regime. Contact analyses and friction tests were performed on compliant layer joints (metal-on-polyurethane) and the design of a prototype ovine arthroplasty model was investigated. When optimized, these components have been shown to achieve full fluid-film lubrication.
UnsworthA.DowsonD.WrightV.Some new evidence on human joint lubricationAnn. Rheum. Dis., 1975, 34 (4), 277–285.
2.
ScholesS. C.BullA. M. J.UnsworthA.AmisA. A.Biomechanics of articulations and derangements in disease In Oxford Textbook of Rheumatology (Eds IsenbergD. A.), 2004, 3rd edition, chapter 3.8, pp. 379–387 (Oxford University Press, Oxford).
3.
WroblewskiB. M.SineyP. D.Charnley low-friction arthroplasty of the hip—long term resultsClin. Orthop. Related Res., 1993, 292, 191–201.
4.
CallaghanJ. J.ForestE. E.OlejniczakJ. P.GoetzD. D.JohnstonR. C.Charnley total hip arthroplasty in patients less than fifty years oldJ. Bone Jt Surg., 1998, 80-A (5), 704–714.
5.
UnsworthA.PearcyM. J.WhiteE. F. T.WhiteG.Frictional properties of artificial hip jointsJ. Engng in Medicine, 1988, 17 (3), 101–104.
6.
UnsworthA.Tribology of human and artificial jointsProc. Instn Mech. Engrs, Part H: J. Engineering in Medicine, 1991, 205 (H3), 163–172.
7.
ScholesS. C.UnsworthA.Comparison of friction and lubrication of different hip prosthesesProc. Instn Mech. Engrs, Part H: J. Engineering in Medicine, 2000, 214 (H1), 49–57.
8.
WangA.EssnerA.KleinR.Effect of contact stress on friction and wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene in total hip replacementProc. Instn Mech. Engrs, Part H: J. Engineering in Medicine, 2001, 215 (H2), 133–139.
9.
RevellP. A.AL-SaffarN.KobayashiA.Biological reaction to debris in relation to joint prosthesesProc. Instn Mech. Engrs, Part H: J. Engineering in Medicine, 1997, 211 (H2), 187–199.
10.
UnsworthA.VassiliouK.ElfickA. P. D.ScholesS. C.McMinnD.BandT.Changes in friction and lubrication during a 3 million-cycle wear test on a Birmingham Hip Resurfacing Device. In Proceedings of the World Congress onMedical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sydney, Australia, 2003.
11.
UnsworthA.RobertsB.ThompsonJ. C.The application of soft layer lubrication to hip pros-thesesJ Bone Jt Surg., 1981, 63-B, 297.
12.
UnsworthA.PearcyM. J.WhiteE. F. T.WhiteG.Soft layer lubrication of artificial hip joints. Proceedings of the International Conference ontribology, friction, lubrication, and wear, 50 years on, 1987, Mechanical Engineering Publications Ltd, London, 715–724.
13.
MeachimG.StockwellR. A.The matrix In Adult Articular Cartilage (Ed. FreemanM. A. R.), 1979, pp. 1–66 (Pitman Medical, London).
14.
SwannA. C.SeedhomB. B.Improved technique for measuring the indentation and thickness of articular cartilageProc. Instn Mech. Engrs, Part H: J. Engineering in Medicine, 1989, 203H, 143–150.
15.
JohnsonG. R.DowsonD.WrightV.The elastic behaviour of articular cartilage under sinus-oidally varying compressive stressInt. J. Mech. Sci., 1977, 19, 301–308.
16.
ArmstrongC. G.LaiW. M.MowV. C.An analysis of the unconfined compression of articular cartilageJ. Biomech. Engng, 1984, 106, 165–173.
17.
JinZ. M.Micro-elastohydrodynamic lubrication of human joints. PhD thesis, University of Leeds, 1988.
18.
SaylesR. S.ThomasT. R.SandersonJ.HaslockI.UnsworthA.Measurements of the surface geometry of articular cartilageJ. Biomechanics, 1979, 12 (3), 257–267.
19.
FreemanM. A. R. (Ed.) Adult Articular Cartilage, 1979 (Pitman Medical, London).
20.
GoreD. M.HigginsonG. R.MinnsR. J.Compliance of articular cartilage and its variation through the thicknessPhys. Med. Biol, 1983, 28 (3), 233–247.
21.
LambdaN. M. K.WoodhouseK. A.CooperS. L.Polyurethanes in Biomedical Applications, 1998 (CRC Press, Boca Raton).
22.
PinchukL.A review of the biostability and carcino-gencity of polyurethanes in medicine and the new generation of `biostable polyurethanesJ. Biomater. Sci. Polymer Edn, 1994, 6 (3), 225–267.
McMillinC. R.Elastomers in biomedical applications: An overview of types and end-usesElastomerics, 1988, 120, 22–27.
25.
StrozziA.UnsworthA.Axisymmetric finite element analysis of hip replacement with an elasto-meric layer: The effects of layer thicknessProc. Instn Mech. Engrs, Part H: J. Engineering in Medicine, 1994, 208 (H3), 139–149.
26.
FieldJ. R.AbermanH.CarboneA.SharpeP.SmithN.DunlopD.HowieD. W.An ovine model for total hip replacement: Operative procedure and complicationsVet. Comp. Orthop. Traumatol., 2001, 14, 32–39.
27.
YaoJ. Q.ParryT. V.UnsworthA.CunninghamJ. L.Contact mechanics of soft layer artificial hip joints. Part 2: Application to joint designProc. Instn Mech. Engrs, Part H: J. Engineering in Medicine, 1994, 208 (H4), 206–215.
28.
DowsonD.FisherJ.JinZ. M.AugerD. D.JobbinsB.Design considerations for cushion form bearings in artificial hip jointsProc. Instn Mech. Engrs, Part H: J. Engineering in Medicine, 1991, 205 (H1), 59–68.
29.
EnglishT. A.KilvingtonM.In vivo records of hip loads using a femoral implant with telemetric output (a preliminary report)J. Biomed. Engng, 1979, 1 (2), 111–115.
30.
UnsworthA.The effects of lubrication in hip joint prosthesesPhys. Med. Biol., 1978, 23 (2), 253–268.
31.
CookeA. F.DowsonD.WrightV.The rheology of synovial fluid and some potential synthetic lubricants for degenerate synovial jointsJ. Engng in Medicine, 1978, 7, 66–72.
32.
DowsonD.YaoJ. Q.Elastohydrodynamic lubrication of soft-layered solids at elliptical contacts. Part 2: Film thickness analysisProc. Instn Mech. Engrs, Part J: J. Engineering Tribology, 1994, 208 (J1), 43–52.
33.
YaoJ. Q.ParryT. V.UnsworthA.CunninghamJ. L.Development of a new generation of artificial hip joints containing compliant layers. BREU-CT91_0400, September 1993, p. 18.
34.
BlameyJ. M.Improved tribology and materials for a new generation of hip prosthesis. PhD thesis, University of Durham, 1993.
35.
ScholesS. C.SmithS. L.AshH. E.UnsworthA.The lubrication and friction of conventional UHMWPE, novel compliant layer and hard bearing surfaces for use in total hip prostheses In Friction, Lubrication and Wear of Artificial Joints (Ed. HutchingsI.), 2002, pp. 59–74 (Professional Engineering Publishing, Bury St Edmunds and London).
36.
AugerD. D.DowsonD.FisherJ.JinZ. M.Friction and lubrication in cushion form bearings for artificial hip jointsProc. Instn Mech. Engrs, Part H: J. Engineering in Medicine, 1993, 207 (H1), 25–33.
37.
SmithS. L.AshH. E.UnsworthA.A tribol ogical study of UHMWPE acetabular cups and polyurethane compliant layer cupsJ. Biomed. Mater. Res.: Appl. Biomater., 2000, 53, 710–716.
38.
AshH. E.ScholesS. C.UnsworthA.JonesE.The effect of bone cement particles on the friction of polyethylene and polyurethane knee bearingsPhys. Med. Biol., 2004, 49, 3413–3425.
39.
StewartT.JinZ. M.FisherJ.Friction of composite cushion bearings for total knee joint replacements under adverse lubrication conditionsProc. Instn Mech. Engrs, Part H: J. Engineering in Medicine, 1997, 211 (H6), 451–465.
40.
JinZ. M.DowsonD.Stress analysis of cushion form bearings for total hip replacementsProc. Instn Mech. Engrs, Part H: J. Engineering in Medicine, 1991, 205 (H4), 219–226.
