Tribology in joint replacement

Basic theory and principles of engineering tribology are outlined, with particular reference to artificial joints, in Section 2.1. Important concepts relating to bearing surfaces, contact mechanics, friction, lubrication and wear are reviewed in this section. A comprehensive summary and discussion then follows for both theoretical (Section 2.2) and experimental (Section 2.3) tribological studies of artificial joints, including hip implants with different bearing surfaces such as a polyethylene cup (conventional and cross-linked) against a metallic or ceramic head, metal-on-metal and ceramic-on-ceramic material combinations, as well as other novel combinations, including ceramic-on-metal and ceramic-on-polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Knee implants are included. Issues of tribology in artificial joints are also discussed, together with a summary and section on future developments in Section 2.4. Section 2.5 contains where to find further information on this topic.