Conclusions
-
1.
After prolongea (up to 2 years) action of the fluids of living tissue on unloaded pure HMPE and HMPE-GCF no changes in structure were detected when examined by the methods of x-ray diffraction and DTA.
-
2.
Prolonged action of fiexural stressing in physiological solution at 37°C brought about a reduction in the yield pointσ flex.y of HMPE by 20–25%; changes in its structure were not detected by the indicated methods.
-
3.
Prolonged action of compressive stressing in physiological solution at 37°C brought about an increase in the yield pointσ comp.y of HMPE by ∼40%, i.e., a hardening of the material in respect to this characteristic. At the same time, the degree of crystallinity was increased by several percent, a small structural anisotropy arose and the content of monoclinic phase was slightly increased; all this indicated some structural rearrangement in HMPE during compressive stressing.
-
4.
The high stability of the structure and strength of HMPE in living tissue and under conditions of loading, which imitate physiological action, gives rise to the assumption that unfilled and graphite carbon fiber filled HMPE are suitable for endoprostheses.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
M. C. Ruckelshausen, Der total Huftgelenkersatz, Stuttgart (1976).
H. J. Nusbaum and R. M. Rose, “The effects of radiation sterilization on the properties of ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene,” J. Biomed. Mat. Res.,13, No. 4, 557–577 (1979).
H. C. Amstutz and M. Ludvig, “Wear of polymeric bearing materials: the effect of in vivo implantation,” J. Biomed. Mat. Res.,10, No. 1, 25–31 (1976).
G. I. Roitberg, R. Z. Rakhimov, and A. K. Valiev, “The deformability of thermoplastics in physiological solution,” Mekh. Polim., No. 2, 325–331 (1978).
L. L. Razumova, G. I. Roitberg, A. A. Veretennikova, and O. V. Shatalova, “Effect of the medium of the organism on the structure of bioinert thermoplastics for joint endoprostheses,” Mekh. Kompozitn. Mater., No. 4, 688–693 (1979).
M. A. Martynov and K. A. Vylegzhanova, X-Ray Diffraction Analysis of Polymers [in Russian], Leningrad (1972).
B. Ki, “Differential thermal analysis,” in: The Most Recent Methods of Studying Polymers [in Russian], Moscow (1966), pp. 286–340.
H. Hendus and K. H. Illers, “Kristallinitatsbestimmung von Polyathylen aus Schmelzwarme und spezifischen Volumen,” Kunststoffe,57, No. 3, 193–199 (1967).
C. W. Bunn, “The crystal structure of long-chain normal paraffin hydrocarbons: the shape of the CH group,” Trans. Faraday Soc.,35, 482–491 (1939).
K. Tanaka, T. Seto, and T. Hara, “Crystal structure of a new form of high-density polyethylene produced by press,” J. Phys. Soc. Jpn.,17, No. 5, 873–874 (1962).
V. I. Gerasimov and V. D. Smirnov, “Relationship between the structural changes and the character of the stress-strain curve for low density polyethylene,” Vysokomol. Soed. Ser. A.,18, 1034–1039 (1976).
V. I. Gerasimov and D. Ya. Tsvankin, “Structural changes during uniaxial compression of polyethylene,” Vysokomol. Soed., Ser. A,12, 2136–2141 (1976).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 5, pp. 896–901, September–October, 1981.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Veretennikova, A.A., Razumova, L.L., Roitberg, G.I. et al. Some structural and mechanical characteristics of biostable high-molecular-weight polyethylene. Mech Compos Mater 17, 611–615 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00605265
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00605265