Abstract
In hip joint prostheses, one of the problems is the choice of mating materials. In fact the coefficient of friction between the cup surface and the surface of the head should be very small in order to minimize any tendency towards loosening related to friction torques on the cup. A low wear coefficient is also desirable to provide maximum life of the acetabular cup. Failures of some types of hip joint prostheses with respect to these parameters induced us to carry out a series of simulation tests. For evaluation of these mating materials as to wear and friction, two different lines of investigation were followed. The work considers two different cases relating to results obtained by several authors. From the analysis of the different hip joint simulators we have concluded that (i) it is not possible to compare results, (ii) there are even non-suitable simulators, and (iii) the few suitable simulators can also be used in order to obtain an improved surface finish (especially for ceramic materials), before the implantation.
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