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Increased average wear particle size
3%
100/3253
Increased resistance to abrasive wear
79%
2562/3253
Increased number of wear particles generated
5%
162/3253
Increased resistance to fatigue crack propogation
9%
305/3253
Increased ductility
107/3253
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Highly cross-linked ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has improved resistance to adhesive and abrasive wear. Highly cross-linked UHMWPE is created by irradiating the polyethylene, which prompts free radicals from different polymer sections to combine to form chemical bonds between two polymer chains (cross-links). The amount of radiation exposure utilized to create these cross-links is between 5 and 10 Mrad with either gamma or electron beam radiation. The Ries et al study showed that although cross-linking UHMWPE can reduce wear, they also demonstrate decreased mechanical properties (e.g. toughness, ductility, tensile strength, and fatigue strength) when compared with conventional UHMWPE. McCalden et al peformed a Level 1 study of 100 patients randomized to highly cross-linked UHMWPE or conventional PE. The found that at an average of 6.8 years that the highly cross-linked polyethylene liner had significantly lower wear rates (as determined by femoral head penetration rates on radiographs). Jacobs et al present a Level 5 review stating that highly cross-linked polyethylene has shown significantly decreased wear rates compared with conventional polyethylene in hip simulator studies. Additionally, they state that there have been no reports of clinically relevant osteolysis witnessed with highly crosslinked PE.
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