Abstract
For several decades, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been used as one of the most wear-proof bearing materials in joint arthroplasty. However, delamination, observed mainly in retrieved UHMWPE knee components, has been the problem to be elucidated. In previous studies the authors have shown that grain boundary, a substructure formed in processing, has effects on subsurface crack initiation as a precursor of delamination. Also we have shown that vitamin E addition to UHMWPE components prevents the subsurface crack initiation. In this study microscopic strain measurements were conducted under uniaxial tension using the digital image correlation method. The aim of this study was to investigated the relationship between gamma irradiation and vitamin E addition on microscopic deformation especially in the vicinity of grain boundary in UHMWPE components.
