Wear-testing of a temporomandibular joint prosthesis: UHMWPE and PTFE against a metal ball, in water and in serum

• Published in: Biomaterials Vol. 20; no. 16; pp. 1471 - 1478
• Main Authors: Van Loon, J.-P., Verkerke, G.J., de Bont, L.G.M., Liem, R.S.B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.08.1999; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Biocompatible Materials; Biological and medical sciences; Biomechanical Phenomena; Blood; Head and neck surgery. Maxillofacial surgery. Dental surgery. Orthodontics; Humans; Joint Prosthesis; Materials Testing; Maxillofacial surgery. Dental surgery. Orthodontics; Medical sciences; Metals; Molecular Weight; Physical Phenomena; Physics; Polyethylenes; Polytetrafluoroethylene; Polytetrafluoroethylenes; Prosthesis Design; PTFE; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Temporomandibular Joint; Temporomandibular joint prosthesis; UHMWPE; Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylenes; Water; Wear; Wear of materials; Wear testing; Temporomandibular joint; UHMWPE; Wear testing; PTFE; Wear; Temporomandibular joint prosthesis; Polyethylene; Stomatology; Wear test; Prosthesis; Tetrafluoroethylene polymer; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Temporomandibular joint dysfunction; Lubricant; Surgery; Arthropathy; Biomaterial; Comparative study; Maxillary disease
• ISSN: 0142-9612; 1878-5905
• DOI: 10.1016/S0142-9612(99)00042-3

For a temporomandibular joint prosthesis, an estimation of the wear rate was needed, prior to patient application. Therefore, we determined the in vitro wear rate of the ball-socket articulation of this prosthesis, consisting of a metal head and an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) cup. The basic testing configuration consisted of one 8-mm diameter stainless-steel ball, rotating between two conforming cups with a minimum thickness of 5 mm. For validation of the testing apparatus, two cup materials, in two lubricants, were tested. Both cup materials, UHMWPE and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were tested in deionized water, as well as in a serum-based solution. For UHMWPE in serum, eight samples were tested, for the other combinations four samples. For UHMWPE, the tests ran for 7 million cycles, for PTFE between 0.8 and 1.7 million cycles. For UHMWPE, the wear rate was 0.006 and 0.47 (mm 3/10 6 cycles), in water and in serum, respectively. For PTFE, the wear rate was 2.8 and 47 (mm 3/10 6 cycles), in water and in serum, respectively. For reason that testing in serum simulates the in vivo situation best, it was concluded that the wear rate of the TMJ prosthesis articulation is 0.47 (mm 3/10 6 cycles), which is considered acceptable.