A B S T R A C T Aim of this project was to study the fretting behaviour of the cemented femoral stem fixation of a total hip prosthesis

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the roughness effect on the fixation of taper junction components and surfaces wear in terms of taper surface design. The roughness of the femoral heads’ taper and of the femoral stems’ trunnions can influence the fretting wear of the taper junction. Design/methodology/approach It was analysed whether a microgrooved taper surface of the femoral stem trunnion improves the fixation and reduces the wear rate at the taper junction of the hip prosthesis. Two models have studied: a femoral head with a smooth tapered surface combined with a microgrooved stem trunnion and a femoral head with a smooth tapered surface combined with a trunnion that had a smooth surface of the tapered. To compare the wear evolution between these two models, a computerised finite element model of the wear was used. Findings The results obtained after analysis carried out during millions of loading cycles showed that the depth of the linear wear and the total material loss were higher for the femoral heads joined with microgrooved trunnions. The main conclusion of this paper is that the smooth surfaces of the taper and of the trunnions will ensure a better fixation at the taper junction, and therefore, will reduce the volumetric wear rates. Originality/value A higher fixation of the taper junction will reduce the total hip prosthesis failure and, finally, it will improve the quality and durability of modular hip prostheses.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to realize finite element simulation in order to dynamically determine the area of the contact, the contact pressure and the strain energy density (identified as a damage function) for three different activities – normal walking, ascending stairs and descending stairs – that could be considered to define the level of the activity of the patient. Design/methodology/approach The finite element model uses a modern contact mechanism that includes friction between the metallic femoral condyles or femoral head (considered rigid) and the tibial polyethylene insert or acetabular cup (considering a non-linear behaviour). Findings For all three activities, the finite element analyses were performed, and a damage score was computed. Finally, a cumulative damage score (that accounts for all three activities) was determined, and the areas where the fatigue wear is likely to occur were identified. Originality/value A closer look at the distribution of the damage score reveals that the maximum damage is likely to occur not at the contact surface, but in the subsurface.

Consequences of the wear processes at screws and barrels of injection machines and extruders for processing of plastics reinforced with short glass fibers, arise after a longer time (10,000 cycles). Because of this they are working that through appropriate modeling attempts on the profits to be obtained in a short time as much information relating to both the mechanisms of wear and its size, so that the effect can be easily confuted in practice. Starting from the idea that the greatest pressure and velocity of composite melted is in the die nozzle, was an experimental nozzle with wear samples of sizes and weights which can be measured with precision as good. For a larger accuracy of measurements, we used a method for radiometric measuring, extremely accurate. Different nitriding steels have been studied as nitriding treatments, as well as some special steels and alloyed steels. Besides these, there have been preliminary attempts made to describe and checking corrosive action of termoplastelor on metals. This was another way of checking the wear testing of the samples semi-cylindrical wear samples, which served to simulate the wear of the top layer of the barrel and screw. The first results showed that wear increases depending on the increased pressure. One of the findings is that in similar conditions of injection, with the same content of glass fiber, polyamide 6.6 produces a wear greater than polycarbonate. It was also found that increasing the concentration of glass fibres increase the surfaces wear of barrels and screws.

Analyzing some hip prostheses retrieved by revision, the appearance of some forms of polishing of the femoral head were observed, as well as significant plastic deformations followed by local hardening. At the same time, obvious traces of wearing through fretting of the acetabular cup of UHMWPE, which in some studies are confounded or assimilated with the adhesive wear. Starting with the well-known fact that the rolling movement always has a lower friction compared to sliding friction, the authors have conceived and realized a pivoting movement joint on a "layer of balls" with "compensation space", placed between the acetabular cup and the femoral head. This technical MOM solution allows free self-directed migration of the balls, depending on the resistance opposed, with successive occupation of the "compensation space". As a concept, the proposed technical solution excludes the existence of a cage for maintaining the spheres relative positions.