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Surface engineering: A low wearing solution for metal‐on‐metal hip surface replacements
Author(s) -
Leslie Ian J.,
Williams Sophie,
Brown Chris,
Anderson James,
Isaac Graham,
Hatto Peter,
Ingham Eileen,
Fisher John
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part b: applied biomaterials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.665
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1552-4981
pISSN - 1552-4973
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.b.31317
Subject(s) - materials science , lubricant , chromium nitride , ceramic , evaporation , coating , metal , scanning electron microscope , surface engineering , surface modification , metallurgy , chromium , nitride , composite material , chemical engineering , layer (electronics) , physics , engineering , thermodynamics
Increased patient blood and serum levels of Co and Cr and dissemination of metal wear particles throughout organs and tissues are the primary concerns with metal‐on‐metal surface replacements. Surface engineering, providing a ceramic bearing surface on a metal substrate, could provide a solution. This study investigated thick (>10 μm) arc evaporation plasma vapor deposition chromium nitride (CrN) coated surface replacements in terms of wear, ion levels, and wear particles in a 10 million cycle hip simulator study, compared to a contemporary metal‐on‐metal surface replacement. The ion levels were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. The wear particles were imaged by field emission gun scanning electron microscopy. The CrN‐coated bearings had 80% lower wear than the MoM controls. The Cr and Co ion levels in the lubricant of the CrN bearings were 73 and 98% lower than in the MoM controls. The wear particles produced were in the nanometer size range and round to oval in morphology. The CrN coating could provide a reduction in the wear and ion release of MoM surface replacements, thereby reducing the perceived risks to the patient associated with these prostheses. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2009