Carbon-fibre-reinforced PEEK: An alternative material for flexion bushings of rotating hinged knee joints?

• Published in: Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials 2020-01, Vol.101, p.103434-103434, Article 103434
• Main Authors: Schroeder, Stefan, Braun, Steffen, Mueller, Ulrike, Vogel, Matthias, Sonntag, Robert, Jaeger, Sebastian, Kretzer, Jan Philippe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bushings; Carbon Fiber - chemistry; CFR-PEEK; CoCr; Ketones - chemistry; Knee Joint; Knee Prosthesis; Mechanical Tests; Particle Size; Polyethylene - chemistry; Polyethylene Glycols - chemistry; Rotating hinged knee; Rotation; Wear
• ISSN: 1751-6161; 1878-0180
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2019.103434

For prosthetic knee joints of the hinged type, typically polyethylene (PE) flexion bushings are used between axis and femoral component to prevent metallic wear. Nevertheless, PE-wear can lead to periprosthetic osteolysis followed by aseptic loosening of the implant. Based on high creep and wear resistance carbon-fibre-reinforced polyether ether ketones (CFR-PEEKs) could provide an alternative material to ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) for this bearing type. Flexion bushings of four different materials were investigated (CFR-PEEK pitch fibres, CFR-PEEK PAN fibres, virgin PEEK without carbon fibres and UHMWPE) using a bushing tester. For determination of the polymeric and metallic wear, gravimetric measurements and particle analyses were performed. The polymeric wear rates of CFR-PEEK PAN (6.657 ± 0.714 mg/106 cycles) and CFR-PEEK pitch (32.085 ± 2.748 mg/106 cycles) were significantly higher compared to the polymeric wear rates of virgin PEEK (0.764 ± 0.283 mg/106 cycles) or UHMWPE (−0.015 ± 0.011 mg/106 cycles) (p