High frequency circular translation pin-on-disc wear testing of UHMWPE using a ball-on-flat contact along a hypotrochoidal track

To intensify experimental research within the field of orthopaedic tribology, a three-station, dual motion, high frequency (25.3 Hz) circular translation pin-on-disc wear test device was recently introduced. In the present study, the pins were CoCr with a spherical, polished bearing surface of 28 mm radius, whereas the flat discs were conventional UHMWPE. This configuration was intended to simulate the wear mechanisms of total knee prostheses. The number of wear cycles run was as high as 200 million. The mean wear rate was 0.35 mg per one million cycles (0.77 mg/24 h) which corresponded to a mean wear factor of 3.5 × 10−6 mm3/Nm. The study provided further proof that a wear test for orthopaedic implant materials can be accelerated by substantially increasing the cycle frequency, provided that the sliding velocity remains close to the values obtained from biomechanical studies. Hence, the moderate frictional heating will not lead to unrealistic wear mechanisms.