Abstract
Wear debris from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) which is used in joint prostheses will affect biological reaction and joint loosening. Significant levels of biological reaction were produced in response to the wear particle size 1.0[1m or less. In a previous study, a newly-developed surface texturing was used to decrease the wear volume and increase wear particle size. Tetrahedral Amorphous Carbon (ta-C) coating on hard bearing materials made of Co-Cr-Mo alloy and Chromium nitride (CrN) coating on soft bearing materials made of UHMWPE were applied in order to alter the friction and wear characteristics. A pin-on-disc friction tester capable of multidirectional motion was used to investigate the friction and wear characteristics. CrN coating on UHMWPE and ta-C coating on Co-Cr-Mo alloys have the possibility to reduce the amount of wear of UHMWPE, however, friction was increased.
