Prediction of scratch resistance of cobalt chromium alloy bearing surface, articulating against ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, due to third-body wear particles.

The entrapment of abrasive particles within the articulation between a cobalt chromium alloy (CoCrMo) femoral component and an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) cup of artificial hip joints or tibial inserts of artificial knee joints usually scratches the metallic bearing surface and consequently increases the surface roughness. This has been recognized as one of the main causes of excessive polyethylene wear, leading to osteolysis and loosening of the prosthetic components. The purpose of this study was to use the finite element method to investigate the resistance of the cobalt chromium alloy bearing surface to plastic deformation, as a first approximation to causing scratches, due to various entrapped debris such as bone, CoCrMo and ZrO2 (contained in radiopaque polymethyl methacrylate cement). A simple axisymmetric micro contact mechanics model was developed, where a spherical third-body wear particle was indented between the two bearing surfaces, modelled as two solid cylinders of a given diameter, under the contact pressure determined from macro-models representing either hip or knee implants. The deformation of both the wear particle and the bearing surfaces was modelled and was treated as elastic-plastic. The indented peak-to-valley height on the CoCrMo bearing surface from the finite element model was found to be in good agreement with that reported in a previous study when the third-body wear particle was assumed to be rigid. Under the physiological contact pressure experienced in both hip and knee implants, ZrO2 wear particles were found to be fully embedded within the UHMWPE bearing surface, and the maximum von Mises stresses within the CoCrMo bearing surface reached the corresponding yield strength. Consequently, the CoCrMo bearing surface was deformed plastically and the corresponding peak-to-valley height (surface roughness) was found to increase with both the hardness and the size of the wear particle. Even in the case of CoCrMo wear particles, with similar mechanical properties to those of the CoCrMo bearing surface, a significant plastic deformation of the bearing surface was also noted; this highlighted the importance of considering the deformation of the wear particles. These findings support the hypotheses made by clinical studies on the contribution of entrapped debris to increased surface roughness of CoCrMo femoral bearing surfaces.