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Determination of Low Wear Rates in Metal-On-Metal Hip Joint Replacements Based on Ultra Trace Element Analysis in Simulator Studies

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Abstract

Metal-on-metal joint bearings are being increasingly used for total hip arthroplasty. Previous results from simulator tests to determine wear of metal-on-metal bearings exhibited high fluctuations. Consequently, wear tests had to be performed for a long period of time to achieve stable values. The aim of this study was to establish a method for the precise measurement of wear of metal-on-metal bearings. Wear was determined by analyzing the concentrations of particles and selected elements in the test medium (serum) using high resolution-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS). The procedure was first validated and compared to gravimetric measurements on two different implant designs and then applied in wear tests on four total hip resurfacing implants. The validation showed a significant reliability of the HR-ICP-MS method (p ≤ 0.02). The final wear test revealed that the HR-ICP-MS method can precisely detect very low wear rates and accurately characterize alterations in wear progression. The duration of simulation can be reduced due to the high detection power and low fluctuation in HR-ICP-MS wear determination analyses. This approach is suitable for test implants with extremely low wear rates.

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Abbreviations

CI:

95%-confidence interval

Co:

Cobalt

Cr:

Chromium

cyc:

Cycles

EDTA:

Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid

EDX:

Energy dispersive X-ray analysis

HR-ICP-MS:

High resolution-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer

H2O2 :

Hydrogen peroxide

ICC:

Intraclass correlation coefficient

Mo:

Molybdenum

MoM:

Metal-on-metal

NaN3 :

Sodium azide

HNO3 :

Nitric acid

p :

p-value

PA:

Polyamide

PU:

Polyurethane

PVC:

Polyvinyl chloride

r :

Linear coefficient of correlation

RI:

Run-in wear rate [mm3/106 cyc]

SD:

Standard deviation

SS:

Steady-state wear rate [mm3/106 cyc]

\( \overline{\text{x}} \) :

Mean

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Biomechanics and Implant Research, Department of Orthopaedics, University of Heidelberg, Schlierbacher Landstrasse 200A, 69118, Heidelberg, Germany

    J. P. Kretzer, J. Reinders & E. Jakubowitz

  2. Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

    M. Krachler

  3. German Red Cross Hospital, Baden-Baden, Germany

    M. Thomsen

  4. ARCUS Sportklinik, Pforzheim, Germany

    C. Heisel

Authors
  1. J. P. Kretzer
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  2. M. Krachler
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  3. J. Reinders
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  4. E. Jakubowitz
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  5. M. Thomsen
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  6. C. Heisel
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Correspondence to J. P. Kretzer.

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Kretzer, J.P., Krachler, M., Reinders, J. et al. Determination of Low Wear Rates in Metal-On-Metal Hip Joint Replacements Based on Ultra Trace Element Analysis in Simulator Studies. Tribol Lett 37, 23–29 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-009-9486-7

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