SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 October 1979
STP35935S

Wear and Degradation of Retrieved Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene and Other Polymeric Implants

Source

The statistics regarding the number of autopsies containing associated implants on the pathology service at the University Hospitals of Case Western Reserve University are presented. The objectives of the Pathology Department's retrieval and analysis program are presented, and the special methods used for analyzing the tissue and implant responses are described. Examples of wear and degradation of the polymeric components which have been analyzed are presented. Silicone rubber poppet occluders which demonstrate abrasive wear are discussed, and the tissue response to wear particles incorporated in the liver is documented. Silicone fluid in the fibrous capsule from a gelfilled breast prosthesis is analyzed. Analyses of degraded and worn ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) joint components by thin-section optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and xylene extraction techniques are presented. The principal wear mechanisms are abrasive wear and cracking between the incompletely sintered UHMWPE powder.

Author Information

Gibbons, DF
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Anderson, JM
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Martin, RL
University of Southern Florida, Tampa, Fla
Nelson, T
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
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Details
Developed by Committee: F04
Pages: 20–40
DOI: 10.1520/STP35935S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-4751-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-0313-9