Premium
Technique for generating submicrometer ultra high molecular weight polyethylene particles
Author(s) -
Shanbhag Arun S.,
Hasselman Carl T.,
Rubash Harry E.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of orthopaedic research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.041
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1554-527X
pISSN - 0736-0266
DOI - 10.1002/jor.1100140622
Subject(s) - polyethylene , ultra high molecular weight polyethylene , materials science , particle size , particle (ecology) , composite material , filtration (mathematics) , debris , chemical engineering , geology , oceanography , engineering , statistics , mathematics
Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene wear debris is believed to have a major role in aseptic loosening of prosthetic joints. In order to study the cellular and host response to this and other such particulate debris, a source of fine ultra high molecular weight polyethylene debris is needed. We have described a technique to fracture the GUR 4150 primary ultra high molecular weight polyethylene grain, which reproducibly generated particles less than 1 μm in size. Furthermore, the particle morphology was similar to that of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene particles generated in vivo and retrieved from interfacial tissues. The fabricatd polyethylene particls ranged from 0.1 to 33 μm in diameter, with a mean of 2.3 ± 0.2 μm. Sixty percent of the particles were smaller than 1 μm and 90% were smaller than 7 μm. Using filtration and sedimentation, it is possible to acquire finer particle fractions. These particles are currently being used for biological response studies.