Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) for hip and knee arthroplasty: The present and the future.

Bistolfi, Alessandro; Giustra, Fortunato; Bosco, Francesco; Sabatini, Luigi; Aprato, Alessandro; Bracco, Pierangiola; Bellare, Anuj · J Orthop · 2021

review · Level V

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Abstract

to review advances and clinical performance of polyethylene in total joint arthroplasty, summing up historical problems and focusing on the latest innovations. search for medical grade Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight-Polyethylene (UHMWPE); Data Sources: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library. the increasing number of joint arthroplasties and high-activity patients led to progressive developments of bearing surfaces to improve performance and durability. Different strategies such as crosslinking UHMWPE (HXLPE) and the addition of vitamin-E (HXLPE) have been tested to improve wear and oxidation resistance. Recent innovations about UHMWPE showed improvements either for hip and knee, with the potential of long-term survivorship.

Anatomy