[What should an orthopaedic surgeon know about biotribology of total hip arthroplasty]

The objective of this paper is to briefly review the engineering biotribology of total hip arthroplasty (THA). At present the issue of lubrication, wear and friction within a THA is being studied in detail and the results have been published in a number of papers. The reason is obvious since the rate at which the articulating surfaces wear off affects the longevity of a THA to a great extent. Seeking an optimal biotribological configuration remains an important task for both the researchers and orthopaedic surgeons. In order to enable the orthopaedic community to think over THA biotribology and, at the same time, communicate with the representatives of technical professions, knowledge of the basic principles of biotribology and their understanding is necessary.