Premium
Enhanced wear resistance of modified cross‐linked polyethylene by grafting with poly(2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine)
Author(s) -
Kyomoto Masayuki,
Moro Toru,
Konno Tomohiro,
Takadama Hiroaki,
Yamawaki Noboru,
Kawaguchi Hiroshi,
Takatori Yoshio,
Nakamura Kozo,
Ishihara Kazuhiko
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part a
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.849
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1552-4965
pISSN - 1549-3296
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.a.31134
Subject(s) - materials science , polyethylene , composite material , polymer , cross linked polyethylene , polymerization , grafting
We developed a cross‐linked polyethylene (CLPE) modified with a phospholipid polymer in order to address the serious problem of osteolysis caused by wear particles derived from the polyethylene components of artificial hip joints. Our goal of preventing aseptic loosening could be achieved by avoiding any formation of CLPE wear particles or suppressing the activation of cell systems by the wear particles. We investigated the surface and wear resistance properties of 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymer grafted onto the surface of CLPE (CLPE‐ g ‐MPC). The relative density of MPC polymer chains was determined by the PO group index. Generally, polymerization times correspond to the number of polymer chains in radical polymerization. After 3.0 × 10 6 cycles in a hip joint simulator test, the steady wear rates of the untreated CLPE and CLPE‐ g ‐MPC cups with a low PO group index were as high as 4 mg/10 6 cycles; those of the CLPE‐ g ‐MPC cups with high PO group indexes, that is, 0.46 and 0.48, markedly decreased to −1.12 and 0.16 mg/10 6 cycles, respectively. Therefore, the grafting of an MPC polymer with high density would be essential in order to maintain the long‐term wear resistance of CLPE‐ g ‐MPC as an orthopedic bearing material. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2007