White paper on tribology and testing of orthopaedic implants
An international materials development and testing company has published a new white paper on tribology and testing of orthopaedic implants.
The paper looks at the assessment of an implant in terms of mechanical testing, debris analysis and surface analysis. It reviews the key techniques available, focusing on the value of generating a complete picture and an understanding of an orthopaedic implant in terms of how the design, base material and coating behave under friction and loading.
Lucideon has invested £1 million in state-of-the-art wear testing facilities in the UK and US to offer a complete range of testing, analysis and consultancy services to orthopaedic implant manufacturers. Using the latest high-tech, gold standard AMTI and ProSim simulators, Lucideon performs wear testing in accordance with the universally accepted standards: ISO 14242-1,2 for hip and ISO 14243-1,2,3 for knee simulation (capable of both force and displacement control). The company also uses its advanced surface analysis capabilities to analyse any wear debris generated.
Author Aia Malik, a healthcare product manager, said: “As an increasing number of patients are outliving the life expectancy of their implant, maximising and proving the longevity of such implants is becoming even more important. Biotribology, the study of friction, lubrication and wear as it occurs in the body, is critical to aid product design and to investigate and solve any faults that may occur.”
The white paper can be downloaded for free at www.lucideon.com/medical.
