Migration stability of alpha-tocopherol in irradiated UHMWPE.
The oxidation resistance of irradiated ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) components used in total joint arthroplasty can be improved by adding alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) through diffusion. To ensure long-term oxidative stability, a minimum alpha-tocopherol concentration needs to be maintained throughout these components. Migration of alpha-tocopherol out of the components is one mechanism that could compromise long-term oxidative stability. We hypothesized that alpha-tocopherol could elute out during standard implant fabrication steps such as cleaning as well as during in vivo use. We doped 85 kGy irradiated UHMWPE with alpha-tocopherol at 120 degrees C and homogenized at 120 degrees C. We determined the extent of elution of alpha-tocopherol or its effect on oxidative stability following cleaning in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and following 5 million cycles (MC) of simulated normal gait in bovine serum. There was no significant elution of alpha-tocopherol in repeated and prolonged cleaning in IPA as measured by average surface and bulk alpha-tocopherol concentrations. There was no change in the oxidative stability following 5 MC of hip simulator testing, indicating minimal elution during simulated normal gait.[1]References
- Migration stability of alpha-tocopherol in irradiated UHMWPE. Oral, E., Wannomae, K.K., Rowell, S.L., Muratoglu, O.K. Biomaterials (2006) [Pubmed]
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