Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/K97424/01
Title:	TRIBOLOGY, WEAR DEBRIS AND BIOLOGICAL REACTIONS TO METAL ON METAL AND CERAMIC ON METAL HIP PROSTHESES
Principal Investigator:	Fisher, Professor J
Other Investigators:	Stone, Mr M Ingham, Professor E
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Pre Nexus Migration
Department:	Mechanical Engineering
Organisation:	University of Leeds
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 October 1996	Ends:	31 March 2000	Value (£):	140,730
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Biomaterials
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Healthcare
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Osteolysis and loosening of artificial joints caused by polyethylene wear debris has prompted widespread interest in the use of metal on metal bearings in hip prostheses. Current expectations are that the volumetric wear rates will be lower than in polyethylene acetabular cups. However the wear rates of metal on metal prostheses are highly dependent on the lubrication regime and hence tribological design is critical to long term clinical performance. Wear debris induced osteolysis and clinical failures are controlled by volumetric wear rates, the total number of particles generated, and their size distribution and biological reactivity. At present there is no scientific basis for determining how tribological design variables influence the complex biological pathways that lead to osteolysis and loosening. In this study the influence of tribological design variables and material combinations on volumetric wear rates will be determined in simple configuration hip joint simulators and a sophisticated physiological anatomical simulations. The resulting wear particles will be characterised, and their biological reactivity analysed through in vitro cell cultures. This will allow, for the first time, quantification of the complex relationships between tribological design variables and biological reactivity for metal on metal hips, and permit direct comparison with parallel studies on polyethylene debris. Equally important is the investigation of bearings with differential hardness (ceramic on metal) as these have demonstrated a ten fold decrease in metallic wear volumes in pilot studies.
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