Wear debris a significant problem
in artificial joint replacement
Wear debris can lead to early loosening of the implant
In general hip joint components are very stable and very rarely fail. A risk factor, however, is wear of the articulating surfaces of the prosthetic joint. When the patient walks, the articulating surfaces continually rub one against the other. In a worst case situation using a metal/polyethylene joint as many as 500,000 micro-particles can be released per step. These accumulate at the prosthesis-bone interface and cause reactions which are destructive to bone. Doctors describe these reactions as osteolysis or “Particle disease”. The consequences can be severe: the bone can soften and resorb. As a result early loosening of the prosthesis can occur, in which case an operation to revise the prosthesis may be necessary.
To what extent wear occurs and how the wear particles behave in the body, depends to a large degree on the materials used in the wear couple. The choice of ball head and cup insert can therefore have a significant effect on the life expectancy of the prosthesis.
These conclusions are based on scientific articles and medical publications.