Effect of cup inclination angle during microseparation and rim loading on the wear of BIOLOX® delta...

Ceramic-on-ceramic (CoC) bearings in total hip replacements (THRs) have shown low wear volumes under standard gait in hip simulator studies. However, clinical reports have indicated variations in wear rates and formation of stripe-like wear area on the ceramic femoral heads. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of cup inclination angle and microseparation on the wear of CoC bearings in THRs. The six station Leeds II Physiological Anatomical Joint Simulator was used to investigate the wear of 28 mm diameter alumina matrix composite ceramic bearings (BIOLOX® delta). It was shown that increasing the cup inclination angle from 55° to 65° had no significant effect on the wear rate of BIOLOX® delta CoC under both standard gait and microseparation conditions in this in vitro study. Under standard gait conditions, the mean wear rate for both cup inclination angle conditions was very low at 0.05 mm(3)/million cycles. The introduction of microseparation to the standard gait cycle increased the mean wear rates to 0.13 mm(3)/million cycles for the cup inclination angle of 55° and 0.11 mm(3)/million cycles for that of 65°. The level of increased wear with microseparation was not dependent on cup angle. A stripe of wear on the head also formed, with corresponding superior rim wear on the cup. The wear rates obtained were low compared to the HIPed third generation alumina ceramic (BIOLOX® forte) tested under the same adverse conditions (1.84 mm(3)/million cycles). BIOLOX® delta has shown lower wear than previous ceramic materials used in THR under adverse conditions.