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Wear of Titanium 6–4 Alloy in Laboratory Tests and in Retrieved Human Joint Replacements

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Titanium in Medicine

Part of the book series: Engineering Materials ((ENG.MAT.))

Abstract

During the period from 1975 to 1985, a variety of joint replacement prostheses were introduced clinically that included a bearing surface of titanium-6% alumi-num-4% vanadium alloy (Ti-6A1-4V) articulating against an acetabular component of ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene. Hip prostheses included the STH, the DF-80, the Six Ti-28 and the Six Ti-32 (Zimmer, Inc. Warsaw, IN), the Stanmore (Zimmer GB), the ES-30 (Biomet, Inc., Warsaw, IN) and the APR (Intermedics, Inc., Austin, TX). Titanium alloy knee prostheses included the Miller/Galante (Zimmer) and the Natural Knee (Intermedics). The suitability of this combination of bearing materials was initially questioned because, in some laboratory wear tests, titanium alloy underwent severe abrasive-corrosive wear, characterized by extensive scoring of the metal surface and the release of large amounts of finely divided metallic particles that blackened the opposing polymer and the lubricant [1-8].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The J. Vernon Luck Center for Orthopaedic Research, Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Harry A. McKellop & Edward Ebramzadeh

  2. Department of Handicap Research, Biomaterials Group, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden

    Tord Rostlund

  3. The Arthritis and Joint Replacement Institute, Coral Gables, FL, USA

    Augusto Sarmiento

Authors
  1. Harry A. McKellop
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  2. Tord Rostlund
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  3. Edward Ebramzadeh
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  4. Augusto Sarmiento
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© 2001 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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McKellop, H.A., Rostlund, T., Ebramzadeh, E., Sarmiento, A. (2001). Wear of Titanium 6–4 Alloy in Laboratory Tests and in Retrieved Human Joint Replacements. In: Titanium in Medicine. Engineering Materials. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56486-4_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56486-4_22

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-63119-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-56486-4

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