Besong A A, Tipper J L, Ingham E, Stone M H, Wroblewski B M, Fisher J
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, England, UK.
J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1998 Mar;80(2):340-4. doi: 10.1302/0301-620x.80b2.8234.
Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) components for total joint replacement generate wear particles which cause adverse biological tissue reactions leading to osteolysis and loosening. Sterilisation of UHMWPE components by gamma irradiation in air causes chain scissions which initiate a long-term oxidative process that degrades the chemical and mechanical properties of the polyethylene. Using a tri-pin-on-disc tribometer we studied the effect of ageing for ten years after gamma irradiation in air on the volumetric wear, particle size distribution and the number of particles produced by UHMWPE when sliding against a stainless-steel counterface. The aged and irradiated material produced six times more volumetric wear and 34 times more wear particles per unit load per unit sliding distance than non-sterilised UHMWPE. Our findings indicate that oxidative degradation of polyethylene after gamma irradiation in air with ageing produces more wear.
用于全关节置换的超高分子量聚乙烯（UHMWPE）部件会产生磨损颗粒，这些颗粒会引发不良的生物组织反应，导致骨溶解和松动。在空气中通过伽马射线辐照对UHMWPE部件进行灭菌会导致链断裂，从而引发长期的氧化过程，使聚乙烯的化学和机械性能下降。我们使用三销盘式摩擦磨损试验机，研究了在空气中伽马射线辐照后老化十年对UHMWPE与不锈钢对磨面滑动时的体积磨损、颗粒尺寸分布以及产生的颗粒数量的影响。与未灭菌的UHMWPE相比，经过老化和辐照的材料每单位载荷每单位滑动距离产生的体积磨损多六倍，磨损颗粒多34倍。我们的研究结果表明，在空气中伽马射线辐照后随着老化，聚乙烯的氧化降解会产生更多磨损。
