Work

Comparison of various UHMWPE formulations from contemporary total knee replacements before and after accelerated aging

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: • We compared 21 contemporary UHMWPE formulations for total knee replacements. • They exhibited surprising differences in their properties and resistance to oxidation. • Crosslinked UHMWPEs with a biocompatible stabilizer showed the best performance. We have collected 21 different formulations of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), which have been employed as liners in contemporary total knee replacements (TKR). The UHMWPE liners were bought from the most important manufacturers on the orthopedic market in the Czech Republic as of 2020. The collected liners represented a broad range of both traditional and modern UHMWPE formulations, which differed by the level of crosslinking, type of thermal treatment, sterilization and/or stabilization. All obtained UHMWPE’s were characterized by multiple methods immediately after purchase and after the accelerated aging in H 2 O 2 . The experimental results (oxidative degradation, structure changes, and micromechanical properties) were correlated with manufacturer’s data (crosslinking, thermal treatment, sterilization, and stabilization). The investigated UHMWPE liners exhibited significant differences in their properties, namely in their resistance to long term oxidative degradation. The stiffness-related mechanical properties showed a strong correlation with the overall crystallinity. The crystallinity depended mostly on the oxidative degradation of the UHMWPE liners, while the thermal treatment played a minor role. The highest resistance to oxidation and wear, which promises the best in vivo performance, was found for the crosslinked UHMWPE formulations with biocompatible stabilizers (such as α-tocopherol, which is the key component of vitamin E).

Source: Materials & Design

DOI: 10.1016/j.matdes.2025.113795

Authors: Petr Fulin, Veronika Gajdosova, Ivana Sloufova, Jiri Hodan, David Pokorny, Miroslav Slouf

Institutions: Charles University, University Hospital in Motol, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry

Language: English

Topic: Orthopaedic implants and arthroplasty

Subfield: Surgery

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,650