Ceramic Component Failure and the Role of Proof Testing

Pfaff, H.-G.

doi:10.1097/00003086-200010000-00005

Cited by 21 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 3 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The use of laser etching for identification has reduced surface irregularities that can serve as stress intensifiers. Proof testing of individual components after manufacture has further contributed to improved reliability 10,72,73 . Accordingly, ceramic bearings today have improved mechanical and physical properties, wear characteristics, biocompatibility, and reliability when compared with earlier bearings of the same material, as outlined in Table III for Al 2 O 3 bearings.…”

Section: Classes Of Materials Used For Total Joint Replacementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This material was associated with high THA revision rates 136 . ZrO 2 femoral heads used in THA in the 1980s and until the withdrawal of Y‐ZTP by the FDA in 2001, prepared by sintering, followed by hot isostatic pressing, were white in color 72 . After the isostatic pressing, the material was black, due to reduction in an inert or reducing atmosphere, but was subsequently “whitened” by a heat treatment at 1000°–1200°C in an oxidizing atmosphere.…”

Section: Materials For Total Joint Replacementmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Ceramics for Prosthetic Hip and Knee Joint Replacement

Rahaman

Yao

Bal

et al. 2007

Journal of the American Ceramic Society

307

160

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The most commonly used bearing couple in prosthetic hip or knee joint replacements consists of a cobalt–chrome (CoCr) metal alloy articulating against ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight polyethylene. Ceramics have been used as an alternative to metal‐on‐polyethylene in joint replacement surgery of arthritic hips and knees since the 1970s. In prosthetic hip and knee bearings, ceramic surfaces offer a major benefit of drastically reduced wear rates and excellent long‐term biocompatibility, which can increase the longevity of prosthetic hip and knee joints. This benefit is important clinically because hip and knee replacement has become a very common surgical procedure, particularly in the United States, and because these procedures are being increasingly performed in younger patients who place greater demands on the prosthetic bearings. However, ceramics are brittle and the risk of catastrophic bearing failure in vivo, while rare, is a major concern. Improvements in material quality, manufacturing methods, and implant design have resulted in a drastic reduction of the incidence of such failures, so that modern ceramic bearings are safe and reliable if used with components of proven design and durability. Future material improvements are actively being investigated to reduce the risk of ceramic‐bearing failures even further. The purpose of this article is to review the structure, properties, applications, and limitations of the ceramics that have been used in orthopedic bearings, and to describe the new ceramic composite materials and surface treatments that will be available for joint replacement surgery in the near future.

show abstract

Section: Classes Of Materials Used For Total Joint Replacementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Materials For Total Joint Replacementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ceramics for Prosthetic Hip and Knee Joint Replacement

Rahaman

Yao

Bal

et al. 2007

Journal of the American Ceramic Society

307

160

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…All ceramic prostheses have been non-destructively proof-tested since the early 1990s. 13 The Food and Drug Administration in the United States sets a minimum burst strength of 48 kN for alumina prostheses and recent implants have a tested burst strength of 98 kN. 6 These forces are greater than those observed under physiological conditions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survival of ceramic bearings in total hip replacement after high-energy trauma and periprosthetic acetabular fracture

Salih

Currall

Ward

et al. 2009

The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British volume

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Surgeons remain concerned that ceramic hip prostheses may fail catastrophically if either the head or the liner is fractured. We report two patients, each with a ceramic-on-ceramic total hip replacement who sustained high-energy trauma sufficient to cause a displaced periprosthetic acetabular fracture in whom the ceramic bearings survived intact. Simultaneous fixation of the acetabular fracture, revision of the cementless acetabular prosthesis and exchange of the ceramic bearings were performed successfully in both patients. Improved methods of manufacture of new types of alumina ceramic with a smaller grain size, and lower porosity, have produced much stronger bearings. Whether patients should be advised to restrict high-impact activities in order to protect these modern ceramic bearings from fracture remains controversial.

show abstract

“…Based on current quality requirements (FDA, ISO, etc. ), experimental studies, and the rare rate of these events in clinical practice 5,15,17,18 , the answer seems to be no. The fracture strength of alumina ceramic liners was found to be more than 70 kN 19 , and modern modular ceramic-on-ceramic hip arthroplasty can withstand a repetitive impact of up to 12 kN 15 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%